XR Weekly: Google I/O Unleashes Android XR Glasses Wave as Project Aura Goes Public - Week of May 25, 2026
This was the week Android XR moved from slideshow to showroom. At Google I/O 2026 on May 19-20, Google, Samsung, Warby Parker, Gentle Monster, and XREAL all put working smart-glasses hardware in front of journalists and developers, marking the first wide hands-on access to the platform. Funding flowed into the optics supply chain underneath that hardware, Apple kept building avatar tech for Vision Pro behind the scenes, and the wider XR industry started turning toward next month's AWE USA 2026 in Long Beach. Here is everything that mattered between May 18 and May 25.
Quick Answer
This was the week Android XR moved from slideshow to showroom. At Google I/O 2026 on May 19-20, Google, Samsung, Warby Parker, Gentle Monster, and XREAL all put working smart-glasses hardware in front of journalists and developers, marking the first wide hands-on access to the platform. Funding flowed into the optics supply chain underneath that hardware, Apple kept building avatar tech for Vision Pro behind the scenes, and the wider XR industry started turning toward next month's AWE USA 2026 in Long Beach. Here is everything that mattered between May 18 and May 25.
This was the week Android XR moved from slideshow to showroom. At Google I/O 2026 on May 19-20, Google, Samsung, Warby Parker, Gentle Monster, and XREAL all put working smart-glasses hardware in front of journalists and developers, marking the first wide hands-on access to the platform. Funding flowed into the optics supply chain underneath that hardware, Apple kept building avatar tech for Vision Pro behind the scenes, and the wider XR industry started turning toward next month's AWE USA 2026 in Long Beach. Here is everything that mattered between May 18 and May 25.
Hardware
Google reveals Android XR "Intelligent Eyewear" with Samsung, Warby Parker, and Gentle Monster. At the I/O keynote, the first Android XR audio glasses are coming this fall, providing all-day access to Gemini with responses privately spoken into the wearer's ear. The glasses can be used for taking photos, listening to music, making calls, and tapping into apps. Google worked with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker on the design of the glasses, and Samsung on hardware. The glasses will pair with Android and iOS devices. MacRumors
XREAL Project Aura debuts hands-on with a 70-degree FOV and a tethered puck. XREAL and Google have showcased live demonstrations of their upcoming Project Aura wired XR glasses at Google I/O this week, giving attendees their first hands-on look at the glasses. Project Aura shows how Android XR, Gemini and Google Play apps will function on lightweight AR glasses with voice, hands and spatial interfaces. Improvements since CES include better image quality, better hand tracking, a cooler compute puck, passthrough support for phones, PCs, and handheld consoles, GPS for location-aware AR, and face detection that disables dimming when the user is interacting with another person. Auganix
TCL CSOT pushes 5,131 PPI micro-LED and 1,700 PPI RGB OLED panels for next-gen XR. Continuing its SID Display Week showcase into the week, within an ultra-compact 0.28-inch form factor, TCL CSOT has achieved a retina-level pixel density of 5131PPI. Powered by full-color silicon-based Micro LED technology, the company set a new benchmark for next-generation lightweight, high-performance displays for AR and AI glasses. Road to VR
Software & Apps
Google launches the Android XR Developer Catalyst Program. XREAL and Google announced the Android XR Developer Catalyst Program. The program will provide select developers with Project Aura developer kits, along with access to the Android XR software development kit (SDK) and new XR capabilities and APIs. Developer kits will begin shipping in summer 2026, with the first cohort strictly limited in size. XREAL's briefing described the first wave as 1,000 developer kits. 9to5Google
Gemini Omni and Android Halo expand AI into spatial computing. Gemini Omni is a new model that can create anything from any input, and that is better at simulating gravity and kinetic energy. It combines Gemini intelligence with generative models like Nano Banana and Veo. It supports conversational language video editing, and allows users to upload videos and edit any element in the video. Omni is starting with video, but Google's Demis Hassabis says it will eventually be able to create any output from any input. 9to5Google
Apple Vision Pro lands Super Mario Galaxy Movie and Avatar: Fire and Ash in 3D. Vision Pro is steadily becoming the premier destination for 3D theatrical releases to reach home audiences. The latest 3D movies headed to Vision Pro include The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) and Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025). The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is available to buy or rent in 3D as of this week, while Avatar: Fire and Ash will be available starting on June 24th, streaming in 3D on the Disney+ app. Road to VR
Funding & Deals
LetinAR raises $18.5M for AI-glasses optics ahead of 2027 IPO. The LG Electronics-backed startup just secured $18.5 million from Korea Development Bank and the South Korean retail giant's venture arm, Lotte Ventures, among others, ahead of its planned 2027 IPO in South Korea. The round brings total funding to $41.7 million, with the company's PinTILT technology designed to support thinner lens structures, lower power consumption, clearer image delivery and wider field-of-view options. TechCrunch
Apple acqui-hires avatar startup Animato in EU-disclosed deal. Apple has struck a new talent and IP deal with Animato, a startup that makes virtual avatar software for video chats and tutoring. According to a new listing in the European Commission's Digital Markets Act acquisition database, Apple has struck a deal with Animato, a virtual avatar company best known for Call Annie, a now-discontinued app that offered video calls with AI tutors for language learning. Under the terms of the deal, Apple will have the right to hire certain Animato employees, receive a non-exclusive license to Animato's intellectual property rights, and acquire its patent applications. The move is widely read as a boost to Vision Pro's Personas feature. 9to5Mac
Gucci-Google Android XR glasses partnership confirmed for 2027. Following the Android Show on May 12 and reiterated at I/O, Kering CEO Luca de Meo confirmed the luxury house is building Android XR glasses with Google for a 2027 launch. That makes Gucci potentially the first major luxury fashion brand to enter the AI eyewear market, placing it in direct competition with EssilorLuxottica's Ray-Ban Meta partnership. VR.org
Enterprise & Industry
Samsung Galaxy XR cements its enterprise pivot as Android XR glasses target frontline workers. Building on April's Android Enterprise support and 5-year update commitment, this week's I/O reveal confirmed Samsung's audio glasses pair with both Android and iOS, opening enterprise pilots beyond Galaxy phone fleets. The AI-powered Galaxy XR headset represents a breakthrough in spatial computing that delivers immersive employee experiences to boost training and productivity. It combines cutting-edge technology with Samsung's experience in B2B deployment, the continuity of the Android XR ecosystem and the context-aware workflows of Google's Gemini AI. AI-powered Galaxy XR headsets are a transformational technology for employee training and enterprise productivity. Samsung Business Insights
LetinAR optics power Aegis Rider's AR motorcycle helmet hitting EU roads in 2026. Aegis Rider is a Swiss deeptech company spun out of ETH Zurich's Computer Vision Lab, building an AI-powered AR helmet that displays navigation, speed and safety alerts directly in a motorcycle rider's field of vision but anchored to the road itself, as if the information is physically present on the surface ahead. LetinAR's optical module is inside the helmet. Aegis Rider is targeting the EU and Swiss markets in 2026. Techgenyz
Events
Google I/O 2026 (May 19-20, Mountain View) wraps with XR center-stage. The Google I/O 2026 keynote has come and gone, and there's no kidding about Gemini being top priority. Google saved the tail end of the keynote to show off new "intelligent eyewear" devices that are coming out this fall. Project Aura and audio glasses dominated developer sessions and hands-on areas. Tom's Guide
AWE USA 2026 ramps up for June 15-18 in Long Beach. Snap Inc. CEO Evan Spiegel will give a keynote address to kick off the AWE USA 2026 event next month. This is the second year in a row that Snap has taken the headlining slot at AWE USA, and comes as the company plans to launch its first consumer-focused AR glasses this year. Snap's consumer AR glasses, branded as Specs, are reportedly on course for a fall 2026 launch at a price of around $2,500. Road to VR
Creator Spotlight
Zach Tsiakalis-Brown, the one-person studio behind Zulubo Productions and the Vertigo series, surfaced again this week as Road to VR highlighted his ongoing programming work on Rust Ltd's H3VR2. Tsiakalis-Brown, the one-man show behind PC VR action-adventure games Vertigo (2016) and Vertigo 2 (2023), revealed he's working with Rust Ltd on their upcoming sequel to Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades (H3VR). He has been working with Rust on H3VR2 since early 2024, officially taking on gameplay programming and technical art for the upcoming sequel in 2025. He has developed the game's procedural level generator, player character controller, hand interaction system, firearm simulation system, and both visuals and AI for the game's hot dog 'Sosig' enemies. Why it matters: H3VR2 is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated PC and Quest VR titles of the next 12 months, and Tsiakalis-Brown's involvement is a reminder that small auteur developers continue to drive much of VR's most distinctive gameplay design even as billion-dollar platforms swallow the headlines.
Quick Hits
- Apple Vision Pro acqui-hires Animato avatar team via EU DMA filing - MacRumors
- XREAL confirms Project Aura ships globally before end of 2026 - Road to VR
- Engadget calls Project Aura the "maximalist" take on Android XR after I/O demo - Engadget
- Behaviour Interactive and PHI Studio detail 2027 Blade Runner immersive XR experience - Road to VR
- Ruff Talk VR Gaming Showcase drops two dozen Quest, PC VR, and MR reveals on May 22 - Road to VR
XR Pulse
Meta closed Friday, May 22 at $607.35, down 0.48% on the day, with a market cap of roughly $1.55 trillion and a 52-week range of $520.26 to $796.25. The stock has cooled from its August 2025 all-time high of $788.15 as Meta kicked off fiscal 2026 with strong results, the firm's top line growing 33% to $56 billion, operating margins contracting 90 basis points to 41% as AI-related costs rise, and the firm raised its capital expenditure guidance for 2026 to $135 billion from $125 billion. On the AI-glasses market: global shipments of AI-powered smart glasses surged to 8.7 million units in 2025, a more than 300% increase from the prior year, according to market research firm Omdia. Analysts project that figure will exceed 15 million units in 2026. Qualcomm shares popped on the week as investors are "waking up" to the boom in AI devices, per CNBC coverage of May 22 trading.
XR Fact of the Week
AI-glasses outshipped VR headsets by a wide margin last year, and the curve is steepening. Global shipments of AI-powered smart glasses reached 8.7 million units in 2025, a more than 300% increase from the prior year per Omdia, and analysts project that figure will exceed 15 million units in 2026. That trajectory is why LetinAR, TCL CSOT, and every Android XR partner spent this week racing to lock down the optics, displays, and developer kits that will determine who actually owns the next computing platform. TechCrunch