With Android XR, Google is trying to breathe new life into the virtual world. Gemini will play a central role in the ecosystem.

Google announces Android XR in a blog. This new Android version is specifically designed for XR glasses and headsets. XR stands for augmented reality and is just one of many terms that describe the combination of virtual elements in the physical world. Developers can start using the operating system today.

The blog shows some demos of how Google applications would behave in Android XR. You can watch YouTube videos on a virtual screen or Google Photos in 3D views, among others. Google Maps lets you project navigation onto the street and search for things you see in the real world using Google Lens or Circle to Search.

Gemini

Unsurprisingly, Google is putting Gemini at the center of the Android XR ecosystem. According to the company, deeper AI integration is key to the success of extended reality, even calling Gemini the missing “killer app.” The announcement of Gemini 2.0 earlier this week with improved multimodal output prepares the AI ​​assistant for the virtual world.

The first headset compatible with Android XR is expected to be released next year. This honor should be reserved Project Moohan: a joint project between Google, Samsung and Qualcomm. Despite reports of trouble between Google and Samsung, the glasses could be coming soon. Google previously scrapped its own XR hardware to focus on software development.

New attempt

Google has high expectations for Android XR. It calls headsets “the next generation” of computing. Still, this is far from the first time Google has dipped its toe into the virtual pond, and so far it has had little success. Just think of Google Glass, which failed and has been buried in the Google graveyard for some time now.

Can Android augmented reality, augmented reality, mixed reality Or whatever name you would like to give the animal and breathe new life into it? A year ago we asked the same question about the Apple Vision Pro and that wasn’t a great success either. Meta’s metaverse is rarely talked about anymore. Despite all attempts to get it working, users and developers always seem to quickly lose interest.