Of course, you can also work in mixed reality environments using a connected Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. Put yourself in an immersive environment if you want to focus, or leave see-through mode on so your colleagues don’t notice. Wearing ridiculous headsets, we work while taking photos and giggling. I wasn’t sure if I could connect the headset to my laptop and bring mixed reality to my work, a feature available in Apple Vision Pro.
XR Gemini
Tap the side of the headset to display the app launcher. If you want Gemini to remain “on” all the time, you can toggle it on here. When turned on, an icon will appear at the top of your virtual space to let you know that everything you say and see is being registered by Gemini.
In see-through mode, you can get close to an object and ask Gemini about it. A Google employee who was demoing the headset (before I tried it) walked up to another person wearing an FC Barcelona shirt and asked Gemini, “Please find out how this ranks.” team. ” Gemini quickly registered the team name and displayed search results including league standings and scores from recent games.
When you ask Gemini a question like this, it responds with visual results in its headset. “Take me to Peru,” I asked, and a 3D version of Google Maps opened. You can move around Lima, and in cities where there are already many 3D models on the map, you can explore the area in more detail. These experiences allow you to carry on a conversation with a Gemini, so when you ask questions like when is the best time to visit, you get an answer right away.
In another example, we peeked into a New York City restaurant and took a virtual tour of the space. Google says it uses AI to stitch together images of the venue’s interior, making it feel like you’re actually there. It worked pretty well. I was staring at the name of the restaurant, so without specifically saying the name, I asked Gemini if the place could be booked. Reservations are required, but Gemini was unable to actually make one. (Integration may occur later.)
Then I watched some videos on YouTube. 2D content looks crisp and colorful. The stereoscopic content was even better. My senses felt surrounded. I saw some hikers walking down the trail and asked Gemini where we were, to which she replied, “New Zealand.” I couldn’t confirm it, but it seems like it’s correct. We observed a more spatialized 2D video playback, with the virtual player adding depth and layering to make the 2D video feel more 3D. I went to the Google TV app and enabled “Cinema Mode,” which launches a virtual theater for watching movies and shows, just like any other VR headset.
Circle to Search, a feature that Google debuted on Android smartphones earlier this year, is also available on Android XR. Simply walk up to a nearby physical object, press the button on the top of the headset, and pinch to draw a circle around the thing you want to learn more about. Results will appear on the Google search page.
smart glasses
Project Moohan is very much like Google and Samsung catching up to the rest of the VR market, but the Gemini integration gives their efforts a unique layer. But I’ll admit I was much more excited to try out the smart glasses. Gemini feels it could be even more helpful. They did not disappoint. I went to another room and there were some glasses in front of me. Some were sunglasses, while others had clear lenses. Like a headset, you can load your prescription. Google did not reveal the name of the prototype glasses.
