It looks like Google is bringing the Play Store to VR, and I hope this doesn’t just come to Samsung’s XR headset
Android is gearing up to launch an cases cannot download). directly.
Android Authority discovered two XR references hidden in the code for the current version (43.3.32-31) of the Google Play Store app. The first is an icon that appears next to a device name when the user chooses where to install an app; Instead of being the phone, Chromebook or tablet icons we’re used to, this icon looks like a pair of glasses, that is, more like a VR headset.
The second clue is more explicit, in the form of a warning label that warns the user that ‘This XR headset is not compatible with this app’. This suggests that developers may need to add an update to bring their software to Android XR devices.
So will there be an XR version of Android and the Play Store? Probably.
Not surprising, but when will it be launched
We know that Google and Samsung are working together on XR stuff, and while the details are up in the air, it’s believed that Samsung provided the hardware (a Samsung XR headset) and Google the software (some version of Android), along the lines of their Samsung Galaxy phone collaboration.
Moreover, a patent of Samsung AR glasses revealed that we recently highlighted that the planned device runs on Android. Leaks, patents and speculation aren’t as reliable as official information – so take these details with a grain of salt – but as the saying goes: where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
Google and Samsung had previously teased that we’d find out about their XR efforts sometime before the end of 2024; But with reports that Samsung hardware has been delayed, that promise may not be kept.
That said, there is already an (sort of) Android VR headset; in fact there are a few. The Meta Quest 3, Quest 3S and other HorizonOS devices run an operating system derived from Android. While HorizonOS will likely remain its own entity, if Google wants to step in even without its own hardware, it could launch an XR Play Store that can be downloaded on Quest.
The Quest hardware already works well on third-party launches like SideQuest, and given the number of legal disputes over platforms that are too closed – like Apple shielding its devices by only allowing installations through the App Store (which is described as a monopolist) – Meta may want to avoid similar accusations by giving the Play Store access to its technology.
While that is a dream, we will have to wait and see what Samsung and Google will announce in the coming months. If Google is ready to go but Samsung isn’t, the XR Play Store might launch elsewhere first.