Google Photos will have a special feature for Samsung's XR headset

Samsung has already revealed that it will announce its first XR headset on 21 October. The device will offer immersive experiences when using optimized apps and games. One of those immersive experiences will also be offered by the Google Photos app.

The Galaxy XR is the world’s first device to run Android XR, a specialised version of Android designed specifically for XR headsets. Its dual-4K Micro OLED displays allow it to display spatial visuals, which Google Photos will utilize to display spatial photos and videos.

Android Authority spotted the yet-unannounced feature in the version 7.50 of the Google Photos app after tweaking it a bit. A new tab with the ‘Spatial' label shows up in the app and displays 360-degree and panorama shots. Such images are suitable for watching in an expansive visual environment, such as on an XR headset's display.

Moreover, the app could allow casting regular images from a smartphone to an XR headset. This feature can be accessed by tapping the Go Immersive button on the top of a regular image. It isn't clear if it can convert a 2D image into a 3D image like Apple's Vision Pro headset can.

Google could showcase this functionality during the launch of the Galaxy XR. Google, Samsung, and some third-party developers could offer immersive apps (apps that can fill the entire display) for the headset. The device can also run regular Android apps in a windowed-mode.