Google has signed an agreement with HTC to buy part of their XR business for $250 million. This will help Google accelerate the development of the Android XR platform. HTC will continue to invest in the development of technology products such as VIVE XR all-round solutions. Some members of HTC’s XR R&D team will join Google. HTC’s XR intellectual property rights will be granted to Google for non-exclusive use.
I guess this is the best thing that could happen to HTC. They can now focus on their VIVE brand and build a virtual reality ecosystem.
What do you mean by VIVE brand? Is it like a VR headset or something?
Yeah, VIVE is a brand of VR headsets and platforms. HTC is known for their innovative design and technology in this field.
IDK what VR is… can someone explain it to me?
VR stands for virtual reality. It’s a technology that allows you to experience a simulated environment in a completely immersive way. You can use a headset to view and interact with virtual objects and spaces.
I’m not sure about this deal. Android XR is a walled garden managed by Google. This means that most devices relying on it won’t be rootable and thus limiting what the user can do.
Consumers don’t root phones. Why would they root glasses?
Consumers don’t know what they miss. Young consumers don’t even know what a file is. That doesn’t mean it’s OK.
What do you mean by rootable? Is it like hacking or something?
Rooting a device means gaining access to the underlying system and being able to modify it. It’s not exactly hacking, but it does allow you to customize and control your device in ways that aren’t normally possible.
The amount of resources poured into XR by Google seems positive, but is it the kind of XR we want?
I think it’s a good thing. Google is investing in the development of XR technology and that will bring more innovation and progress to the field.
But what about the potential risks and downsides of XR technology? We need to consider those as well.
That’s a good point. We do need to be aware of the potential risks and downsides of XR technology and work to mitigate them.