Google’s Recruitment of HTC XR Team Sparks Speculation on HTC’s Future Plans

Recently, Google made waves in the tech world by bringing on board a group of HTC’s XR engineers, signaling their intention to enhance the Android XR platform across various headset and glasses technologies. This move underscores a significant change in the playing field, especially after Google announced the launch of Android XR last month. It seems Samsung is poised to lead by introducing a headset powered by this new platform. While many welcome the idea of more competition in the XR market, some can’t help but wonder if Google will remain dedicated to this project, given its history of shelving numerous initiatives over the years, including the Google Daydream in 2016, its initial foray into XR.

In a recent exclusive with Road to VR, Google addressed some of these concerns, offering a glimpse into the company’s strategic mindset. However, it’s hard to ignore Google’s past, where many ventures have faced the axe. One such example is the Google Daydream View, an ambitious attempt from 2017 to establish a foothold in XR but ultimately discontinued.

The anticipation surrounding Google’s XR ambitions grew as they officially revealed an agreement with HTC, aiming to gain from HTC’s hardware prowess for fortifying its position in the XR realm. Details about the acquisition remain sparse, but Google shared, “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.”

Interestingly, this isn’t Google’s first investment in HTC’s talent pool. Back in 2017, Google invested a hefty $1.1 billion to acquire HTC’s smartphone engineering team. Shortly after, HTC combined its smartphone and VR divisions, signaling a renewed focus on expanding their XR projects.

What remains a mystery is how this deal will affect HTC moving forward. Based in Taoyuan, Taiwan, HTC has focused primarily on manufacturing XR hardware for enterprises and tech-savvy prosumers, most notably their latest offering, the Vive Focus Vision. This standalone mixed reality headset, priced at around $1,000, blends features from both the Vive Focus 3 and the Vive Elite XR.

Though HTC has briefly ventured into non-XR projects, like the HTC Exodus 1 crypto-phone and a 5G hub built during the early 5G buzz, these products have all since disappeared from their lineup. With the current lack of detailed information about the agreement’s implications, it remains to be seen how HTC will navigate its future course in the industry.