Google's Android XR SDK Developer Preview 2 Gets a Upgrade Ahead of Project Moohan Launch

On May 20, 2025, Google unveiled Developer Preview 2 of the Android XR SDK at I/O 2025, enhancing tools for building immersive experiences. The update introduces stereoscopic 180° and 360° video playback via MV-HEVC, adaptive layouts through Jetpack Compose’s SubspaceModifier, and expanded Material Design components like TopAppBar and AlertDialog. ARCore now supports hand tracking with 26 joint points, enabling gesture-based interactions.

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The Android XR Emulator received stability improvements, AMD GPU support, and full integration into Android Studio. Unity developers can access OpenXR: Android XR v2, featuring Dynamic Refresh Rate, SpaceWarp shaders, and occluded hand meshes. Firebase AI Logic for Unity, now in public preview, allows integration of Gemini-powered generative AI with multimodal input/output.

Google plans to launch Android XR first on Samsung’s Project Moohan headset later this year, followed by XREAL’s Project Aura, a portable, tethered developer device. The Android XR Play Store will list compatible 2D Android apps and allow developers to showcase immersive content like 180°/360° videos and interactive screenshots.

Developers can start building XR apps using the updated SDK and emulator, preparing for the upcoming hardware releases and the Android XR Play Store launch.