Galaxy XR has two 4K OLED displays, but what’s their refresh rate?

The Galaxy XR has impressive hardware for its $1,799 price tag. It matches the Apple Vision Pro in terms of design, visuals, and battery life. Samsung has equipped the headset with dual-4K displays, just like Apple’s XR headset. But what refresh rate do they operate at?

Samsung’s first XR headset features two Micro-OLED displays, each with a 4K resolution and up to a 90Hz refresh rate. However, the specifications sheet indicates that the displays default to a 72Hz refresh rate. They can switch to either 60Hz or 90Hz, depending on the situation.

Switching to a 90Hz refresh rate for smoother visuals is only available “upon service request.” This means apps or games might need to request the headset to switch the displays’ to a 90Hz refresh rate.

While the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip powering the Galaxy XR is capable of running software at a 90Hz refresh rate, Google and Samsung may have opted for a 72Hz refresh rate to strike a balance between fluidity and power efficiency. On a single charge, the headset offers up to 2 hours of general usage.

In comparison, Apple’s Vision Pro runs the UI at a 90Hz refresh rate most of the time. It also switch to 96Hz and 100Hz refresh rates, depending on the content. For the Mac Virtual Display experience, the second-generation Vision Pro goes as high as a 120Hz refresh rate.