The relationship between Google and HTC has been ongoing since 2017 when the internet company acquired its smartphone business, but now, another deal went down between both companies and it is focused on mixed reality. Google recently announced that it is now in agreement with HTC to acquire its VIVE engineering team which is known for its work on XR experiences.
This is a massive step for Google as it is on the verge of developing its Android XR business and is set to deliver its take on mixed reality software and hardware, looking to take on its rivals like Apple, Meta, and more.
Google Buys HTC's VIVE Engineering Team For $250 Million
The latest blog post from Google announced that it has now signed an agreement with HTC where some of VIVE's engineering team are transitioning over to the Mountain View giant's company to help in their developments. Google regarded that HTC's team is highly regarded in the VR space, and this would help bolster the tech giant's plans to develop more into its mixed reality business.
According to a report from TechCrunch, the deal between Google and HTC resulted in a whopping $250 million deal, and it gives the internet company a part of HTC's extended reality business in the form of its workforce.
This successful acquisition makes Google and HTC's second major deal after the Mountain View giant previously bought the entirety of HTC's smartphone business way back in 2017 for $1.1 billion.
Google's HTC Acquisition Is Key to Android XR's Expansion
Google specified that HTC's engineering team that focuses on extended reality is now set to join Android's XR business which the American Big Tech designated to create the upcoming experiences in the mixed reality space. Moreover, Google mentioned that HTC's VIVE team will be working on the "headsets and glasses ecosystem" which the company did not yet specify.
Android XR: The Latest Developments and News
Over the past years, there have been plenty of showcases and prototypes from Google regarding its work on mixed reality experiences which it wants to share with the world, but so far, these are still under development. There is one major development from Google known as Project Iris, a secret AR device from Google that can utilize the Pixel Watch to expand more of its controls, with patents confirming the tech from the Big Tech.
Last year, Samsung also announced that it is working on a mixed reality experience for users which involves both Google and Qualcomm to join the efforts in developing one of the biggest partnerships in XR. That being said, the past months bore bad news for all, especially as the project was hit with setbacks in its development, with the so-called "Project Moohan" turning out to be a bigger challenge for the trio.
There were also rumors that Google is still considering the development of a next-gen 'Google Glass' device from the company, but reports claimed that the company has an "unstable commitment" to it. Despite all of these setbacks, Google is still making a massive move towards advancing its developments, and it is now in the form of an acquisition of HTC VIVE's engineering team, all meant to help Android's XR business.
