Google Play Store prepares for Android-powered ‘XR headsets’

3 weeks ago 5

It’s no secret that Google and Samsung have been working on a mixed reality (XR) device of sorts, and now the Play Store is actively preparing for the arrival of “XR headsets.”

Google and Samsung announced in early 2023 that the two companies were working on some sort of XR device, largely thought at the time to be a competitor to Apple’s pricey Vision Pro headset. Now, it’s looking more like these will take the form of a pair of smart glasses, but regardless of the form it takes, the Android-powered platform is on its way.

Now, Google is preparing for this arrival behind the scenes.

The folks over at Android Authority noticed in the latest Play Store update that Google is setting the foundation for “XR headset” app installs.

The Play Store today allows users to install apps remotely on other devices from their smartphone, with apps able to allow or not allow installation on specific versions of Android, such as Wear OS or TV. “XR headset” seems to be joining these categories, which was a rather obvious outcome. Still, Google’s work on this behind the scenes, with explicit mention of “XR headset” and a new icon for what looks like a Quest-style VR headset, signals that things are moving along at a solid pace.

Notably, Meta has been asking Google to bring the Play Store to the Android-based Quest series for quite some time, so this work would technically set the stage for this to happen, though it’s still very unlikely.