XR Weekly: Apple's Live Immersive MLB Debut Redefines Sports Broadcasting - Week of August 28, 2026

**Valve's 30th anniversary passes with no Steam Frame launch date.** The Valve Steam Frame is confirmed for summer 2026, and as of August 10, 2026 Valve has not named the day. The regulatory path is now fully clear: the FCC granted equipment authorization on July 29 under FCC ID 2AES4-1015, which is the last gate before a radio device can legally be sold in the United States. Add the 35 tons of hardware already through US customs, a Steam Machine that shipped on June 30, and a Great on Frame catalog that went from eight titles to 89 in under a month, and nothing is left but the announcement. Valve has 43 days left in its own stated summer window before September 22 closes it out. [VR.org](https://vr.org/steam-frame)

**Meta rolls out new Quest OS features aimed at gaming and productivity.** You can now use Meta Quest Touch controllers to emulate an XBOX gamepad. This feature is compatible with XBOX and Steam Link. Enable the feature in Settings > Devices > Controllers. Remote Desktop has been renamed Virtual Display. Virtual Display is automatically installed on all Quest devices, and lets you connect your Windows or Mac computer and display up to 3 large virtual screens. This update also brings HDMI support to Virtual Display, so you can connect gaming consoles, handhelds, and phones via an optional HDMI-to-USB-C adapter. [Meta](https://www.meta.com/help/quest/172903867975450/)

**Android XR ecosystem gathers momentum ahead of glasses rollouts.** Samsung and Google gave the first official look at their joint Android XR smart glasses, shown in two styles made with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, with an audio-and-camera first generation (no display) confirmed for a fall 2026 launch and a display version on the 2027 roadmap. XREAL's AURA, the first Android XR display glasses, is the clearest demand signal the category has produced: it passed 10,000 reservations by August 20, its 2,000 $299 Founder Priority Passes sold out in 36 hours, and the $99 Launch Credit tier is gone too. [VR.org](https://vr.org/ar-glasses)

**Apple's Friday Night Baseball goes live in Immersive on Vision Pro August 28.** For the first time, baseball fans can take in all the action of "Friday Night Baseball" live in Apple Immersive on Apple Vision Pro, leveraging 3D video recorded in 8K with a 180-degree field of view. On August 28, viewers with Vision Pro will experience the iconic Red Sox vs. Yankees rivalry from unique camera angles that place viewers right in the game, immersed in the drama of each at-bat, the celebrations in the dugout after a big hit, close plays at the outfield wall, and more. Livestream games will be available to Vision Pro users with an Apple TV subscription across a number of regions, including Australia, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the UK, and the U.S. [Apple Newsroom](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/08/apple-mlb-announce-september-friday-night-baseball-schedule/)

**BrushHammer brings mixed reality miniature painting to Quest.** BrushHammer: Miniature Painter, a cozy mixed reality painting app, comes to Meta Quest on August 26. BrushHammer Miniature Painter is an innovative mixed-reality experience that lets you live your miniature painting hobby, without the mess. Paint virtual miniatures using a robust suite of digital tools, from spray cans and airbrushes to shade washes, edge highlights, dry brushing, decals, high-gloss finishes, and more. [UploadVR](https://www.uploadvr.com/new-vr-games-releases-august-2026-meta-quest-ps-vr2-pc-vr-more/)

**BattleGroupVR2 goes to Quest Early Access.** Space real-time-strategy game BattleGroupVR2 comes to Meta Quest in Early Access on August 28. The interstellar RTS previously launched in Early Access on SteamVR late last year. [UploadVR](https://www.uploadvr.com/everything-announced-at-the-vr-games-showcase-august-2026/)

**Kai XR files to raise $2.7M for K-12 immersive learning.** The company's mission is to close the digital divide by giving students hands-on opportunities with in-demand and emerging technologies, using simple, accessible resources that work on tablets, headsets, and other smart devices to bridge the gap between technology and access for all learners. Prioritizing inclusion, experiential learning, and innovation, Kai XR positions itself as a unified digital learning platform that empowers children to explore, dream, and create while helping schools and districts bring learning to life through STEM, AI literacy, digital literacy, and career exploration. [intelligence360](https://www.intelligence360.news/kai-xr-has-filed-a-notice-of-an-exempt-offering-of-securities-to-raise-2702422-00-in-new-funding/)

**Quiet week for larger XR deals.** The category's late-summer lull continued with no headline nine-figure rounds this week, though the broader 2026 trend still favors bigger, later-stage checks: among XR companies with their last funding round in 2025 or 2026, the median raise was $75M, more than double the $35M median for companies whose last rounds closed in 2021 or 2022, pointing to a meaningful acceleration in round sizes as the XR market matures. [New Market Pitch](https://newmarketpitch.com/blogs/news/xr-top-startups-fundraising)

**Android XR builds out enterprise deployment stack for Galaxy XR.** Starting from Galaxy XR, Android XR now supports Android Enterprise, extending the trusted management framework used across millions of Android devices into immersive environments. This update brings enterprise-grade control and efficiency to Galaxy XR, creating a scalable foundation for real-world deployments across industries including training, manufacturing, healthcare and beyond. With this latest firmware release, Android XR will now receive regular software updates, including security patches, for up to five years, underscoring Samsung and its partners commitment to long-term performance, security and innovation on the XR platform launched in October 2025. [Samsung Newsroom](https://news.samsung.com/global/samsung-galaxy-xr-evolves-work-in-the-ai-era-with-new-enterprise-capabilities-and-everyday-features)

**Enterprise XR spending stays on a steep growth curve.** IDC projects enterprise spending on AR and VR to rise nearly 20 percent this year, to about 12 billion dollars worldwide. Most of that growth is coming from companies investing in training, remote collaboration, and digital twin projects, precisely the workflows Samsung, Google, and Meta are now optimizing their headsets to serve. [UC Today](https://www.uctoday.com/immersive-workplace-xr-tech/google-samsung-ar-glasses-set-for-2026-release-what-enterprises-need-to-know/)

**Gamescom 2026 opens in Cologne.** Gamescom 2026, Expo, Aug 25-30, 2026, Cologne, Germany, Koelnmesse, Europe's largest gaming trade fair with over 300,000 attendees. Features VR game demos, hardware showcases, developer presentations, and Opening Night Live. [VR.org Events](https://vr.org/events)

**IFA 2026 next week in Berlin, with RayNeo and TCL confirmed.** TCL has confirmed its attendance at IFA 2026. The manufacturer will exhibit "flagship SQD-Mini LED displays, NXTPAPER mobile devices, and the latest RayNeo smart glasses." RayNeo iO Smart Glasses confirmed September 4, 2026, price not announced. A 33-gram camera-free waveguide HUD built for ambient AI rather than media, with a MicroLED display and a 23 degree field of view. Sold through RayNeo's own store and Amazon, with IFA demos in Hall 21A. [Android Authority](https://www.androidauthority.com/what-to-expect-ifa-2026-3701444/)

Reddit user 'camracks' is having a moment in PC VR this month with PCVR Central, the community-built database that finally consolidates the sprawling mod ecosystem in one searchable place. Reddit user 'camracks' launched the PCVR Central database last week, aiming to be the one searchable place for VR mods that let you play flatscreen PC games in VR. And while you might not find every single last PC VR mod there right this second, the newly launched database already boasts over 1,500 games with nearly 900 VR mods currently cataloged. That matters because for years, the biggest untapped growth vector for PC VR has been the enormous library of flatscreen games retrofitted by community modders, but discovery was broken across Discord, Reddit, and GitHub. A single searchable index turns a scattered subculture into a real distribution channel, right as Valve's Steam Frame prepares to raise the stakes for PC-tethered VR. [Road to VR](https://roadtovr.com/every-pc-vr-mod-database-steam/)