Google is paying HTC $250 million in cash in a deal to boost the giant’s Android XR plans. Under the terms of the agreement, certain members of the HTC Vive engineering team will join Google, which Google describes as “an incredibly strong technology team with a proven track record in VR.” HTC released the first consumer version of its Vive VR headset in 2016, designed in partnership with Valve. Last year, more than a year after releasing Vive XR Elite, our first standalone headset for consumers, we launched Vive Focus Vision.
In addition to absorbing certain Vive team members, Google will also receive a non-exclusive license to use HTC’s augmented reality technology. HTC will still be able to use its own IP and is committed to continuing to develop and support the XR headset. The two companies say they will “explore opportunities for future collaboration.” Google says the partnership will help “accelerate across the headset and glasses ecosystem.” In December, the company laid out its vision for an integrated Android XR ecosystem across a variety of virtual reality and mixed reality headsets and glasses. This year should see the first Android XR devices, codenamed Project Moohan, a collaboration between Google and Samsung.
Google and HTC’s agreement remains subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to be finalized during the first quarter.
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