Google

The US tech company behind Android, Google Play and Gemini, and owner of Android XR, the platform that powers headsets such as the Samsung Galaxy XR.

About Google

Google was founded in 1998 and is based in Mountain View, California. It is part of Alphabet. It runs Search, YouTube, Android and the Google Play store, and it develops the Gemini AI models. Its own hardware includes Pixel phones.

History in VR

Google has worked in VR for more than a decade. Cardboard (2014) turned phones into simple viewers, and the Daydream platform and headsets followed in 2016 before Google ended them. In 2024, Google returned to headsets with Android XR, a version of Android built for headsets and glasses, developed with Samsung and Qualcomm. In early 2025, Google also hired part of HTC's XR engineering team.

Android XR today

Android XR launched on the Samsung Galaxy XR in October 2025. Google does not make the headset itself. It supplies the operating system, Google Play with XR apps and most Android apps, spatial versions of YouTube, Maps and Chrome, and Gemini as a built-in assistant that can help with what you see. Chrome on Android XR also supports WebXR content. Google has said Android XR will also come to smart glasses from partner brands.