So, here’s the deal I heard about recently in the tech world. Apparently, Google has struck an agreement with HTC, where part of HTC’s XR team is moving over to Google. According to HTC’s press release, the deal is worth around $250 million. Oh, and Google also gets a non-exclusive license to HTC’s XR intellectual property as part of the package.

Now, this isn’t the first time Google has pulled talent from HTC to work on their own hardware projects. Rumor has it, Google’s XR headset is set to launch later this year, and this deal is all about speeding up the development of the Android XR platform for glasses and headsets. Google seems pretty excited, saying that the incoming team brings some serious hardware expertise to the table.

Google even made a big deal out of this on their Keyword blog, emphasizing how significant this is for VR tech. Meanwhile, HTC was quick to clarify that this doesn’t mean they’re selling off their VIVE business. They’re still fully committed to their own XR innovations, like the VIVE Focus Vision. All their existing product lines? Still alive and kicking.

This partnership is definitely a power move for Google to fast-track their XR ambitions. Just a little while ago, at Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked 2025 event, Samsung showed off the Project Moohan headset running on the Android XR platform. The device even looks a bit like the Apple Vision Pro—just saying.

Anyway, Google announced their Android XR project back in December last year, and ever since, people have been buzzing about potential AR glasses or headsets. Snapping up HTC VIVE engineers is definitely a major step toward making those plans a reality. HTC, on the other hand, is staying in the XR game, working on optimizing their product portfolio and improving efficiency. The deal also leaves the door open for more collaboration between the two companies in the future.

So, yeah, lots of action in the XR space—exciting times!