Samsung's first XR headset could use Sony's micro-OLED display

In February 2023, Samsung Electronics announced that it was developing an extended reality (XR) headset in collaboration with Google and Qualcomm. Fast forward to January 2024, Samsung Display unveiled its first-ever micro-OLED display (also known as OLED microdisplay and OLEDoS).

Since then, everyone has been expecting Samsung Electronics to use this display from Samsung Display in the company’s upcoming XR headset. However, that might not be the case.

At the Omdia Korea Display Conference 2024 in Seoul, South Korea, a senior researcher at Omdia, Minsoo Kang, claimed that Samsung Electronics will use an OLEDoS display from Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation (SSS) for the company’s upcoming XR headset (via Daily Korea). According to the analyst, this display will have a size of 1.3 inches and a WRGB sub-pixel structure.

Reportedly, Samsung Electronics had earlier planned to source displays for the upcoming XR headset from Samsung Display but decided to go with Sony around the end of last year as it realized that Sony’s micro-OLED display was better than that of Samsung Display.

Samsung's XR headset could arrive this year

In August 2023, Sony unveiled an OLED microdisplay with model name ECX344A. It has a 1.3-inch size, a 3,840 x 3,552 pixels resolution, a 90fps refresh rate, and a 1,000cd/㎡brightness.

Considering the report from Korea, it’s possible that Samsung could use this display in the company’s upcoming XR headset. For your reference, Apple also sources micro-OLED displays from Sony, for the company’s mixed reality (MR) headset, the Vision Pro.

Reportedly, Samsung has created a separate team called ‘Immersive Team’ for the development of its first XR headset. The product is expected to feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2+ chipset and run on a version of Android that’s modified for XR headsets. The company is expected to unveil the product in the second half of this year alongside the launch of the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and the Galaxy Z Fold 6.