We talk a lot about VR/AR headsets, but people buy a headset because there's "something to do" inside it. This node is the entire software layer of the XR world — the tools that build 3D worlds (Unity, Unreal), the stores that distribute content and take a cut (Meta Store, visionOS), and the content that gives people a reason to wear the headset (games like Beat Saber). It's also the most brutal "chicken-and-egg" story in tech: good content needs enough users to be worth the cost, but users only show up once there's good content first.
Meta Connect 2026 Kicks Off September 23 at Menlo Park Campus
Meta Connect 2026 begins Wednesday, September 23 at 4:00 P.M. at Meta's campus in Menlo Park, California, headlining a week of investor events that also includes McDonald's Investor Day and a White House meeting between President Trump and China President Xi. The two-day livestreamed Meta showcase will include updates on the company's latest work in AI, AI-powered glasses, virtual and mixed reality, and related developer technologies, with major product announcements and a keynote from CEO Mark Zuckerberg anticipated. McDonald's holds its highly-anticipated Investor Day the same day, with investors watching how management plans to restore U.S. momentum while sustaining international growth and the durability of its new beverage platform, whose launches in the U.S., Canada, and Germany reportedly exceeded expectations. On Thursday, September 24, President Trump meets China President Xi at the White House, with Taiwan, AI, tariffs, and global conflicts expected on the agenda and more details possible on China's purchase of Boeing aircraft; Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon are expected at the evening state dinner. Also Thursday, a bond hearing is scheduled at 4:30 p.m. related to Paramount Skydance's planned $110B purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery. The week's earnings slate includes Autozone, Thor Industries, and KB Home on Tuesday; Cintas, Paychex, General Mills, and Cracker Barrel on Wednesday; and Darden Restaurants and Costco on Thursday.
Virtualware, GlobePoint Sign MoU With Korean Education Group to Roll Out VIROO
Virtualware, together with its South Korean partner GlobePoint, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Korean Education Group to introduce the VIROO platform across KEG's education ecosystem, covering vocational education, digital academies, IT and game development training, industry-oriented learning programs, and higher education initiatives. The agreement sets a framework to support KEG's "Vision 2030: A Time of New Possibilities" strategy, which aims to grow the group's revenues from KRW 200 billion, or €130 million, to KRW 500 billion, or €325 million. KEG is one of South Korea's leading private education groups, serving more than 1.8 million students through a nationwide network of 64 campuses and 8 specialized academy brands, supported by four subsidiaries focused on marketing, digital platforms, IT services, and business acceleration. David Moreno, Chief Business Development Officer of Virtualware, said the deal marks an important step in expanding VIROO's presence in South Korea, while KEG CEO Kim Young-woo said the collaboration reflects the group's commitment to innovation in South Korean and Asian education. GlobePoint will provide local expertise, market insight, and strategic guidance beyond market representation, and the signing ceremony took place during Edtech Korea.
Lightstorm Vision Acquires Outsyders to Scale 3D Content Production
Lightstorm Vision, the integrated 3D production technology developer founded by James Cameron, has acquired Outsyders, the creative-tech collective behind an AI-driven stereoscopic pipeline used on projects for Disney, IMAX, Samsung, and Google. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Outsyders, founded by Paul Becker, Jared Sandrew, and Chris Harvey and launched in April 2024, has delivered the IMAX 3D version of Blue Angels, a 3D reimagining of Disney's Lilo & Stitch, Doug Liman's 8K high-frame-rate stereoscopic film Asteroid for Samsung and Google, and work on Tron: Ares and Moana, and currently has more than five feature films in progress. The acquisition folds Outsyders' stereoscopic processing platform into Lightstorm Vision's native capture and production system, which the companies describe as the industry's first end-to-end solution for producing 3D content across both new productions and existing content libraries. Lightstorm Vision said the combined platform is built to convert existing 2D libraries into premium stereoscopic content at lower cost and to serve a new generation of stereoscopic-native Meta VR devices under its multi-year partnership with Meta. Cameron said his company has worked with Becker's team for almost two years and called their AI tools world class, while Becker said the combined technologies were the most logical step for the format.
Roblox Unveils Everywhere Distribution and Build Tool at RDC 2026
Roblox used its 2026 Roblox Developers Conference to mark its 20th anniversary and roll out a wave of new platform features centered on more play, more building, and more growth. The headliner was Roblox Everywhere, which will let creators distribute Roblox experiences as standalone apps on mobile, PC, and consoles, with plans to let users open games directly in Google Chrome by the end of 2026 and support for other browsers later. The company also previewed Build, a prompt-based, mobile-focused creation tool, saying 9K games had been published through its New Zealand alpha by September 1 and that 71% of its creators had not previously used Roblox Studio, with the alpha expanding to Serbia and Singapore. Roblox introduced Wallet, a Creator Hub financial account for eligible U.S.-based independent creators age 18 and older that will make cleared earnings available in real currency each business day beginning later this year, with a linked Roblox Card planned for 2027. The company said creators have earned more than $5B through its Developer Exchange program since 2013, including about $1.7B in the past year, and shares of Roblox moved up 1.5% in late Friday afternoon trading.
Perfect Corp. and QWEEN Launch 3D Jewellery Virtual Try-On
Perfect Corp. (NYSE: PERF) has partnered with QWEEN, India's first self-discovery experiential luxury jewellery brand, to launch an immersive 3D Virtual Try-On experience across QWEEN's digital platform. The experience, powered by Perfect Corp.'s Web Consultation Mode for Jewellery, lets shoppers see rings, earrings, and bracelets on themselves in real time, supporting up to 2,300 Virtual Try-On-enabled SKUs. Built on Physically Based Rendering, the technology recreates material textures, reflections, and light scattering to present gold, diamonds, and gemstones with true-to-life detail. QWEEN's team can upload 3D files and product imagery directly to Perfect Corp.'s console, using the self-service 3D Authoring Tool to transform assets into AR-ready experiences without manual production. The partnership aims to build confidence in high-consideration jewellery purchases, with QWEEN's portfolio spanning 7 colours of gold and 100% natural diamonds and gemstones.
Stryker Completes First Hip Arthroscopy with FDA-Cleared Apple Vision Pro App
Stryker announced the successful completion of the first hip arthroscopy procedure using its SportSuite Vision application on Apple Vision Pro at Duke Health, following the FDA's De Novo authorization in July, making it the first surgical application approved for intraoperative use with Apple's mixed reality headset. The procedure was performed by orthopedic surgeon Chad Mather III, demonstrating the platform's transition from regulatory clearance to real-world clinical adoption. SportSuite Vision is designed for femoroacetabular impingement and labral repair procedures, combining arthroscopic video, HipCheck, HipMap FAI Analysis, and CT imaging in a customizable spatial computing environment. While the launch is unlikely to materially affect near-term revenue, it could enhance Stryker's competitive position and support long-term growth as hospitals adopt advanced operating room technologies. Shares of Stryker traded flat on Wednesday, and year to date, the stock has lost 11.1% compared with the industry's 17% decline, while the S&P 500 has risen 10.9%. Stryker also recently agreed to acquire ZuriMED, developer of the FiberLocker System for rotator cuff augmentation, to strengthen its shoulder portfolio.
Emdoor Information's first-half net profit attributable to parent surges 1,614.8% year on year to 196 million yuan
Emdoor Information released its 2026 interim report, with net profit attributable to the parent company soaring 1,614.8% year on year to 196 million yuan. The company's operating revenue was 2.75 billion yuan, up 80.7% year on year; net profit attributable to the parent after deducting non-recurring items was 103 million yuan, up 756.3% year on year; net operating cash flow was negative 744 million yuan, down 134.2% year on year. In the second quarter, operating revenue was 1.61 billion yuan, up 65.9% year on year, and net profit attributable to the parent was 153 million yuan, up 1,076.4% year on year. The company said that, influenced by the wave of AI technology in the global consumer electronics industry, the sector is undergoing a structural recovery. The company continues to deepen its AI-plus core development strategy. Operating revenue from smart hardware products grew 59.23%, XR and AIoT business grew 133.29%, and domestic substitution business grew 51.72%.
Apple Cuts Over 200 Jobs in Siri and Vision Pro Teams
Apple Inc. is cutting more than 200 jobs across teams responsible for the Siri digital assistant and the Vision Pro headset as part of an effort to focus on new devices and artificial intelligence. The layoffs include about 100 positions eliminated from the Vision Pro organization and another 100 from the Siri and software teams, including the Intelligent Systems Experience group that works on AI features. The company is largely shutting down a Vision Pro team focused on gaming for the headset and reducing the size of a unit responsible for producing immersive video content. Apple said it is realigning some teams to evolve its business and deliver the best experiences for users, while creating new roles and supporting affected employees through the transition. The Siri reshuffling is tied to an upcoming AI-infused version of the assistant built on a new technical architecture, and the Vision Pro changes reflect an effort to realign priorities based on how customers are using the device.
Tencent Launches AI-Powered Digital Jingdezhen Cultural Heritage Game
Tencent Holdings has launched Digital Jingdezhen, an AI-powered game that revives porcelain craft traditions through immersive digital experiences. Players explore digitally recreated historical sites and learn traditional porcelain-making techniques, highlighting Tencent's application of gaming and AI technology in cultural preservation. The project uses AI-assisted procedural generation, digital humans, and 3D asset creation, technology that could be reused for other cities, museums, or themed experiences, pointing to a broader market opportunity in government and institutional contracts. While cultural projects may have unclear monetization paths and heavier AI use in games could attract regulatory attention, the launch showcases Tencent's AI capabilities and may support future contracts in education, tourism, and smart city projects. Investors will watch for distribution across channels like WeChat Mini Programs and whether similar heritage projects follow, as signs of repeat use would suggest the technology is finding commercial traction.
Meta adds Xbox Game Pass starter to Horizon+ subscription
Meta Platforms is adding the Xbox Game Pass starter edition to its Meta Horizon+ subscription service, expanding gaming on Quest virtual reality headsets. The move deepens Meta's partnership with Microsoft's Xbox and gives Horizon+ subscribers access to more than 50 Game Pass titles alongside the existing catalog of more than 100 virtual reality games available through the service. Horizon+ customers will also get 10 hours of cloud gaming per month, with featured titles including Fallout 4, Fallout 76, Grounded, DayZ and Overcooked 2. Meta said it will roll out a gamepad emulator in the coming weeks, allowing Quest Touch controllers to function like an Xbox controller.
Alliance for OpenUSD adds ByteDance, Huawei, Physicl, and Unity as members and begins ISO certification for Core Specification 1.1
The Alliance for OpenUSD has added ByteDance, Huawei, Physicl, and Unity as General Members, expanding its reach into gaming, consumer XR platforms, and large-scale enterprise digital transformation. The organization has also begun the ISO certification process for Core Specification 1.1, the first step toward international standardization, and launched a GitHub repository to give developers direct input into the specification's evolution. OpenUSD is emerging as the 3D data layer for agentic AI workflows, with early implementations from Cesium, PTC, and NVIDIA demonstrating how AI agents can understand, navigate, and modify 3D environments built on the Core Specification. AOUSD and member companies including Pixar, NVIDIA, Autodesk, and Epic Games will present sessions at SIGGRAPH 2026 in Los Angeles from July 19 to 23.
Virtuix Omni One wins 2026 Auggie Award for Best Interaction Product
Virtuix Holdings announced that its Omni One platform has received the 2026 Auggie Award for Best Interaction Product at Augmented World Expo, the XR industry’s highest honor, as part of a humanoid robot teleoperation system developed by the University of Central Florida. The award marks Virtuix’s second consecutive win in the category, following Omni One’s 2025 victory, and highlights the platform’s expanding role in robot teleoperation and physical AI training. The recognized project, “Being there without being there,” allows operators to walk naturally on the Omni One omni-directional treadmill while controlling a humanoid robot in real time, demonstrating how full-body locomotion can improve human-robot interaction. Virtuix also recently partnered with 1HMX to develop the Nexus NX1, a full-body humanoid robot control system combining the Omni One Enterprise treadmill with HaptX Gloves G1. The company believes Omni One is uniquely positioned to support both teleoperation and the collection of human movement data for training autonomous robot behaviors.
NVIDIA Adds Omniverse Libraries to Agent Toolkit for Simulation-Ready 3D Content
NVIDIA announced that its Agent Toolkit now includes Omniverse libraries, a collection of software components that give AI agents tools to add physical AI capabilities to existing applications and prepare 3D content for simulation. The new libraries—ovrtx for RTX sensor simulation, ovphysx for GPU-accelerated physics, and CAD-to-SimReady skills for converting CAD data into simulation-ready assets—are openly available on GitHub. Software makers including SideFX and PTC are integrating these libraries into their 3D applications, with support for cloud and local AI systems ranging from NVIDIA RTX Spark to NVIDIA DGX Station. A new blueprint for integrating Omniverse libraries in Blender is also available, demonstrating how agent-ready simulation capabilities can be added to existing 3D tools while keeping creators in control.
Volumetric Video Market Projected to Reach USD 7.01 Billion by 2032
The global volumetric video market is projected to reach USD 7.01 billion by 2032, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 13.27 percent from an estimated USD 3.21 billion in 2026. Artificial intelligence is accelerating volumetric video capture, reconstruction, editing, compression and delivery, while integration with game engines, cloud rendering, edge processing and 5G networks is broadening access. North America remains a major innovation center, Asia-Pacific is highly active with China, Japan, South Korea, India and Australia benefiting from 5G investment and gaming growth, and Europe is progressing through virtual production and cultural heritage digitization. Organizations are advised to prioritize applications that deliver measurable improvements in engagement, training retention or operational performance, and to establish governance for biometric data, consent and synthetic media transparency. The market is shifting from specialized studio experimentation toward scalable and integrated production, with the strongest opportunities emerging where realism, presence and interactivity create clear advantages in entertainment, sports, healthcare, education, retail and industrial training.
Global Virtual Reality Market Forecast to Reach $488.49 Billion by 2035
The global virtual reality market is projected to grow from USD 33.72 billion to USD 488.49 billion by 2035, a compound annual growth rate of 27.511%, according to a new report from ResearchAndMarkets.com. Growth is driven by advances in hardware and software, wider availability of immersive content, declining device costs, and increasing adoption across consumer and enterprise applications. Gaming and entertainment remain major contributors, while enterprise use cases are expanding in healthcare, education, aerospace and defense, automotive, manufacturing, retail, and industrial training. Artificial intelligence and 5G connectivity are expected to accelerate development of responsive, real-time virtual environments. North America currently holds the largest market share, with Asia expected to record substantial growth through 2035, led by China's role as a major manufacturer and distributor of head-mounted VR devices.
AI in Interior Design Market to Surpass $4 Billion by 2030
The global artificial intelligence in interior design market is projected to grow from $1.39 billion in 2025 to $4.55 billion by 2030, at a compound annual growth rate of 26.8%, according to a new report from ResearchAndMarkets.com. The expansion is driven by integration with augmented and virtual reality tools, rising demand for personalized interiors, smart home proliferation, remote design services, and sustainability-focused practices. Key trends include AI-powered space planning, virtual interior visualization, personalized design recommendations, material optimization, and smart home integration. North America was the largest regional market in 2025, with significant growth also expected in Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, and Western Europe. Leading companies such as Wayfair Inc., Autodesk Inc., and Houzz Inc. are innovating with generative AI tools, while tariffs on visualization hardware are pushing the industry toward software-centric and cloud-based solutions.
Global Game Engine Market to Reach USD 8.94 Billion by 2031
The global game engine market is projected to grow from USD 3.36 billion in 2024 to USD 8.94 billion by 2031, at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 16 percent, according to a new report from ResearchAndMarkets.com. Engine software licensing accounted for 69.94 percent of the market by component in 2024, while the services segment is expected to grow at an 18.42 percent CAGR. Mobile platforms led with a 45.54 percent share in 2024, and 3D games represented 65.48 percent of applications, with AR, VR, and XR emerging as the fastest-growing application segment at a 23.02 percent CAGR. AAA and enterprise studios held the largest end-user share at 44.05 percent, but non-gaming industries such as architecture, film and VFX, automotive, and defense are expanding rapidly at a 19.44 percent CAGR. Asia Pacific dominated regionally with a 36.61 percent share in 2024 and is forecast to reach 41.05 percent by 2031.
Virtuix launches Omni One for Quest, bringing full-body movement to Meta Quest ecosystem
Virtuix has launched Omni One for Quest, a new product that brings unrestricted physical movement to the Meta Quest ecosystem and is part of the Made for Meta program. The system enables users to walk, run, crouch, strafe, and jump in 360 degrees inside Meta Quest games and fitness apps, and is compatible with Meta Quest 2 and Quest 3 headsets. Omni One for Quest is available starting today through Virtuix's website and authorized distribution partners at a price of $2,595 USD. The launch expands Virtuix's addressable market to millions of active Quest users and will be featured in the Meta Store. The platform launches with popular titles including VAIL, Forefront, The Boys, and Star Trek: Infection, with additional compatible games planned over time.
3D AI Studio Launches Flow for Browser-Based Node-Based 3D Workflows
3D AI Studio has launched Flow, a node-based canvas that lets creators build complete 3D workflows directly in the browser without installing software or requiring a GPU. The platform, used by more than one million designers, developers, and creators, now enables users to connect AI generation, mesh cleanup, texturing, and export into a single pipeline that can be run with one click and reused across many assets. Flow runs every step on 3D AI Studio's servers with leading 3D models built in, and it includes an AI agent that builds workflows from plain-language descriptions. Founder and CEO Jan Hammer said Flow turns 3D from a single roll of the dice into a process users can understand, refine, and reuse. Flow is available today at the company's website.