XR Technology: From Prototype to Playbook
Source: lbbonline.com
XR: The Present Reality
Astral City launched in early 2025, believing spatial computing would become the next engagement paradigm, reshaping brand engagement through immersive technology. By mid-2025, this vision has become reality. XR is accelerating and changing how people interact with content, spaces, and brands. Companies that act now will lead the experience economy.
Astral City aims to help partners understand the space, plan, and create immersive experiences. Many major players are now seriously considering XR. Tech companies and start-ups are releasing new hardware, software, and campaigns to push XR into the mainstream. AWE 2025 highlighted the convergence of AI and XR, validating Astral City’s vision.
XR Highlights from Early 2025
XR is no longer niche, with AR, VR, and MR becoming scalable tools across industries, as highlighted at AWE 2025.
Snap
Snap is launching next-gen 'Specs' smart glasses in 2026. They are lighter, sleeker, and offer AR Lens potential, signaling a more immersive Snapchat ecosystem.
Qualcomm
Qualcomm unveiled the AR1+ chip, which powers AI-driven smartglasses that run large models locally, enabling real-time, on-glasses brand interactions and object-aware AR.
AWE 2025
With over 5,000 attendees and 250+ demos, including XREAL’s Android XR glasses - 'AURA', Sony’s spatial displays, and AI-powered NPCs, AWE 2025 underscored XR’s momentum.
Tech Giants Invest in XR
The tech giants are investing more in XR.
Meta
Meta is expanding its XR ecosystem across VR and AR. Meta and Oakley may announce something new soon, indicating that wearable AR is moving from prototype to product.
Google is positioning itself as the platform backbone for XR through Android XR, announced at I/O 2025. It is designed for headsets and AR glasses and integrates Google’s Gemini AI, enabling features like on-the-fly translation, contextual object detection, and AI-powered visual lookup. Samsung is set to launch Project Moohan, a mixed reality headset, later in 2025. Google also demoed prototype smart glasses with real-time translation and image recognition and is working with partners like XREAL, Warby Parker, and Gentle Monster, focusing on sleek design and smartphone tethering.
Apple
Apple is building the foundation for spatial computing with its Vision Pro headset and visionOS platform. At WWDC 2025, Apple introduced new AI features (“Apple Intelligence”) for Vision Pro, enabling generative tasks and spatial widgets. Lightweight AR glasses are rumored for 2026, integrating Siri, AI, and iPhone apps. Apple aims to make AR the next iPhone.
PICO
PICO has become a major player in enterprise and location-based XR, with headsets like the PICO 4 Enterprise. It powers immersive experiences across education, healthcare, manufacturing, and live events. PICO showcased tools for scalable brand activations at AWE 2025.
AI and XR Convergence
AI is merging with XR, making experiences more powerful and personalised.
Smarter Interactions
AI enables XR apps to understand and respond to users and the environment in real time. Prototypes include glasses that translate foreign text and recognize objects, providing information via AI.
Content Creation via AI
Generative AI helps produce 3D assets, environments, and storylines for XR, lowering content creation costs and enabling dynamic content.
AI Avatars and Agents
AI-driven avatars are emerging and can converse naturally with users. AI agents in VR can guide users, adapting as they go.
AI accelerates XR, enabling richer, more individualized experiences and simplifying production. Astral City is excited about this convergence because it streamlines building and unlocks creative possibilities. Brands should watch AI-in-XR use cases to stand out as innovators.
The Future of XR
The XR industry is growing, with spatial computing becoming part of everyday life. Brands that experiment now will set benchmarks and shape expectations. Early investors in XR are already seeing benefits, and the pace of innovation is accelerating. Now is the time to prototype and play before XR becomes expected. Astral City blends creative strategy, immersive design, and emerging tech to help partners navigate the future.