Play Store code indicates Google is prepping for Android XR headsets

It feels like we’ve been getting a drip feed of news on Google and Samsung’s plans for “XR” headsets running Android for a long time. But according to a new teardown of the Play Store app, Google’s working on putting in actual software support right now. It doesn’t mean headsets are coming tomorrow…but it does mean someone high up at Google thinks they’re coming.

Android Authority dug deep into the code of the latest APK file for the Play Store interface on Android, and found some compelling evidence. Android apps can now detect whether they’re compatible with an “XR headset” device, in the same way they check for compatibility for phones, tablets, watches, and Chromebooks. There’s even an icon for the device class, a very clear drawing of a headset in the Oculus style.

Android is already the base open-source operating system for Meta’s Quest VR headsets, so all the games and apps that run on it are technically Android apps. But that software is so heavily modified and locked down, it’s basically completely removed from Android as most people understand it.

XR headsets, which Arm defines as encompassing virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality (take it easy on the marketing-speak buddy), would be more nimble and wearable devices. Think a mix of Apple’s Vision Pro and something a lot more low-key, like the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses. Samsung, Google, and Qualcomm have been working on something in this space for a while, but it keeps getting pushed back according to what information snippets leak out.

Even as a general fan of VR tech, I have to admit that no one’s cracked a really compelling case for a more ubiquitous headset or glasses device. And we’re talking about a form factor that Samsung, Google, Microsoft, and Apple have all taken a stab at in one form or another. Why do they keep coming back?

One, because we’re approaching 20 years since the release of the modern smartphone, and every tech company wants to be the one that launches the next ubiquitous gadget. Smartphones and tablets are essentially saturated across every market at this point. The only way to sell more is to expand into developing markets, which tend to attract only budget buyers for low-margin devices, or try to create demand for ultra-premium, high-margin devices like the Galaxy Fold or iPhone Pro. Companies seek unlimited profits, so trying to find new form factors is inevitable.

But I think a bigger part of this is that tech companies are run by people, and people seem to think that a vision-based interface for electronics is an inevitability. It’s become such a staple of science fiction, so ubiquitous in video games that we barely notice it, that we’re all sort of just expecting a set of smart glasses or a full-power headset at some point.

It feels like we’re back in 2013, all holding our breath for the original Galaxy Gear watch. Because we just know Dick Tracy-style smartwatches are going to be a thing, even if we’re not sure how we’ll actually make use of them.

So bring it on, Google. Give the headset another shot. If you don’t do it, someone else will. And they’ll probably fail…but eventually someone won’t.