Google Acquires HTC Vive Engineers to Accelerate Android XR

Google Acquires HTC’s XR Engineers to Accelerate Android XR Platform Development

Google has acquired a number of HTC’s XR engineers, a move aimed at speeding up the development of the Android XR platform across headsets and glasses ecosystem.

Last month, Google announced Android XR, marking a significant shift in the competitive landscape. Samsung is set to be the first to launch a headset running Android XR. While excitement surrounds familiar faces entering the consumer XR space, questions linger about Google’s long-term commitment to the project.

In an exclusive interview with Road to VR, Google addressed some concerns about the project. However, the company has a history of discontinuing products and services, including Google Daydream, its first venture into the XR space in 2016.

Google has now signed an agreement with HTC to acquire some of its XR engineers. The details of the agreement are still scarce, but it appears Google is leveraging HTC’s hardware talent to strengthen its position in the modern XR segment.

Google stated, “We’ve been investing in XR for more than a decade, and just last month introduced the Android XR platform with our strategic industry partners. Today we signed an agreement to welcome some of the HTC VIVE engineering team to Google, which is subject to customary closing conditions. They are an incredibly strong technical team with a proven track record in the VR space, and we are looking forward to working with them to accelerate the development of the Android XR platform across the headsets and glasses ecosystem.”

This isn’t the first time Google has acquired talent from HTC. In 2017, the company paid a significant sum to acquire HTC’s smartphone engineering team. A year later, HTC merged its smartphone and VR divisions, signaling a focus on XR ambitions.

As the specifics of the deal remain undisclosed, HTC’s future remains uncertain. The Taiwan-based company primarily produces XR headsets for enterprise and prosumers, such as the Vive Focus Vision. However, HTC has also explored non-XR devices, including the HTC Exodus 1 and a 5G hub, though these products are no longer being sold.