Well-known XR manufacturers used AWE 2025 to announce primary XR tasks: Qualcomm introduced an AR chip in a position to on-device AI, Snap promised new, light-weight AR Specs in 2026, and XREAL shared extra main points on its Android XR-enabled glasses.
But I noticed a lot more at the display ground. Here are the entire AWE 2025 highlights I noticed or examined that individuals will to find attention-grabbing!Contents
A show that tracks your eyes with out a digicam
Kopin Corporation makes a speciality of undertaking merchandise and show elements. At their sales space, I wore a light-weight surgical HMD and a night-vision AR helmet for squaddies’ concentrated on and steerage. I additionally looked at their ultra-bright microLED show, the in-vogue tech for AR glasses and smartwatches.
But Kopin’s maximum promising tech for shoppers is its NeuralDisplay. It makes use of “conventional RGB pixels, image-sensing pixels, and complex sign processing algorithms” to trace your eye motion and neurological reaction in a useful VR show.
I noticed the tech in motion at AWE (and you’ll be able to see a video instance beneath). The Kopin engineer shone a flashlight into his eye, and the show instantly detected his student dilation and altered the brightness and distinction to forestall any discomfort.
The model they confirmed off at AWE, constructed on OLED however suitable with microLED, can modify the show’s content material robotically to check the consumer’s gaze and simulate intensity.
It can monitor information just like the consumer’s blinking price to pass judgement on if the individual is fatigued or allow foveated rendering, all with no need any SoC processing energy. And in terms of army packages (or FPS video games), this tech may just resolve that the consumer is not taking a look within the course of a danger and information their gaze that approach.
It’s nonetheless an in-progress prototype that wishes silicon enhancements to allow higher colour accuracy and sensitivity. But CEO Michael Murray stated that they proved unsuitable the naysayers who “stated we could not pull it off,” and that businesses like Meta, Apple, and Anduril will probably be very excited about licensing their patent in order that they may be able to shed the load in their eye-tracking cameras. We’ll see if this occurs!
Viture’s [REDACTED] XR glasses and Switch 2 gaming
I should be imprecise about this access, as Viture — maker of XR gaming glasses just like the Viture Pro XR — confirmed me its next-generation glasses at AWE however instructed me I could not divulge the rest aside from to “tease” readers and “get them excited for what is coming.”
To steer clear of any hassle, I’ll quote with out remark this Tom’s Guide article noting that the following Viture XR glasses will “be the primary to make use of Sony’s newest Micro-OLED panels” with a “sharper, brighter and wider box of view than the present Pros’ 46-degree FoV. It additionally prompt Viture will promote “a couple of specifications,” together with one who helps 6 levels of freedom (6DoF). Sure sounds promising, if true!
What I’ll tease is modest: Viture’s upcoming units modified my point of view on XR glasses, and now I desperately need its new [redacted] glasses for my Nintendo Switch 2 and Steam Deck.
I performed some Street Fighter on Viture’s Switch 2 the usage of the Pro Mobile Dock, which attaches to the again to circulate content material to XR glasses whilst charging the console. And their enhanced {hardware} helped promote me on hand-held gaming with a TV-sized display screen whilst enjoyable in mattress with my hand-held console — in some way last-gen XR glasses with dimmer, low-FoV presentations by no means may just.
So be careful quickly for Viture’s upcoming lineup of XR glasses!
Niantic Spatial’s Visual Positioning System excursion information
Smart glasses with multimodal AI like Ray-Ban Meta glasses have you are taking a photograph of an object or landmark to research it. But the eventual objective for AR glasses is to make use of GPS and gaze monitoring to understand with precision what you are looking at, with a view to supply correct information. And Niantic Spatial is operating on that machine.
The former Pokémon Go makers took me to a boulevard subsequent to the AWE conference middle the place they might carried out their Visual Positioning System (VPS) and had me put on AR Snap Spectacles.
Their little XR assistant, Dot, then served as a excursion information. If I tapped my arms in combination and requested concerning the mosaic paintings at my ft, it could describe the artwork taste, artist, and town initiative in the back of it, with choices to be told extra. Or if I requested concerning the development around the boulevard, it could inform me about its historical past as a comedy membership.
The concept in the back of Niantic’s VPS is that they will construct an academic AR an identical to Google Maps that is “unbiased of explicit {hardware} distributors,” so Android XR and Meta glasses house owners can be told concerning the international with “centimeter-level” geolocation. They have 1.5 million pre-mapped places already, and so they be offering “non-public VPS” for corporations to make their very own AR instructional excursions; I’d consider it operating smartly for a museum, or a theme park like Disneyland.
The demo itself was once slightly finicky. Dot infrequently refused to respond to my questions, blathering on about no matter it idea I used to be subsequent to. The Snap Spectacles battery reached essential lows after about quarter-hour of Q&A, with the show suffering with the sunny climate; it is onerous to mention when AR glasses {hardware} will probably be able for a town excursion. But when it labored, it labored rather well, and I may just see each children and curious adults loving this device…as soon as the AR {hardware} is able for it.
Sony’s top rate XYN headset
The Sony XYN (pronounced “zin”), like Samsung Project Moohan, has the top rate Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset with heaps of RAM and micro-OLED high quality. If I hadn’t already demoed Moohan final month, the insane 3552×3840 answer would have blown my thoughts. But with the ability to stand up as regards to a digital ebook web page and skim each phrase with out straining, or read about the main points of a portray, continues to be past what any present VR headset can be offering.
Sony additionally confirmed off delicate finger controllers that you’ll be able to squeeze to choose and transfer spatial content material. Hand monitoring works beautiful smartly on most up-to-date headsets just like the Quest and Vision Pro, however having a wearable controller provides extra precision so you are now not vainly suffering with overlooked digicam inputs whilst seeking to paintings.
Almost no person will finally end up the usage of Sony’s top rate XYN headset; it is designed for “spatial content material advent,” that means best undertaking customers keen to drop just about 5 grand to create CADs will want one. But it is nonetheless a promising signal of the way immersive XR headsets are getting, and I like the flip-up show design for productiveness.
Android XR good ring controls
At the Qualcomm display sales space, that they had an area for KiWear, a sensible ring reference design for gesture controls for AR, XR, and good glasses. And it is unusually correct and intuitive.
Connected to RayNeo X3 Pro glasses, the hoop may just keep watch over the show UI the usage of easy finger actions or rotations round your finger. The IMU may just differentiate between pinches clear of or in opposition to you for various purposes, and the integrated PPG may just show well being information at the glasses.
You too can achieve the hoop out to faucet digital gadgets or use the hoop touchpad to choose or scroll. It even labored for correct gaming controls when enjoying Fruit Ninja.
Given that Qualcomm introduced that Android XR will strengthen good ring controls, I wonder whether the following Samsung Galaxy Ring will probably be extra in particular designed for XR controls to pair with Moohan and its good glasses. I used to be by no means bought at the concept of a sensible ring controller, however the KiWear ring’s accuracy modified my thoughts.
All the opposite AWE 2025 highlights
bHaptics’ TactSuit Pro and TactGloves upload haptics strengthen for over 100 Meta Quest video games, together with lots of our favourite VR titles. I’ve observed it at XR occasions for years however after all attempted it at AWE 2025, immersing myself in an area demo the place I repaired my send and puppy my purring cat.
Aside from the TactSuit making me slightly ticklish, I walked away inspired through the revel in and the way it helped me sink into the revel in. My outfit would value greater than my Quest 3, and I’m now not certain I need to really feel discomfort all through shooters, however I unquestionably assume VR energy customers would get a kick out of it.
But if we are speaking immersion, I’ve to say Anywhere Bungee VR, which gained AWE’s Best in Show Playground award. You climb onto a contraption and actually tip over to simulate the sensation of bungee leaping off of a Tokyo Skyscraper, with wind machines to assist simulate the actual terror of falling.
I believe this sort of contraption could be easiest as sideshows for VR exhibition facilities like Sandbox VR, and I’d be curious to peer what different excessive sports activities like skydiving or base leaping might be recreated in a setup like this.
Samsung confirmed off its new OLED on Silicon (OLEDoS) presentations at AWE, together with a 1.4-inch RGB panel that hits 5,000 pixels in line with inch and a brighter 1.3-inch, 4,200 PPI panel that hits a whopping 20,000 nits. For context, the Apple Vision Pro hits about 3,400 PPI, whilst Moohan allegedly hits 3,800 PPI.
My telephone digicam could not in all probability seize the visible high quality, however I may just lean up towards the show and notice ranges of colour, element, and brightness that blow most present VR headset presentations out of the water. So it is thrilling to peer Samsung Display problem Sony in an XR show palms race.
Source: www.androidcentral.com
