Google Acquires HTC VIVE Engineering Team Members to Accelerate Android XR Project Development

Since launching its Android XR initiative in partnership with Samsung and Qualcomm last December, Google has been sparking considerable speculation regarding the development of augmented reality (AR) glasses and headsets. This speculation intensified when Samsung presented the Project Moohan headset, powered by the Android XR platform, during the Galaxy Unpacked event in 2025. Offering a first glimpse at this intriguing technology, this announcement showcased a device that bears striking similarities to Apple’s Vision Pro. Recently, Google made a significant leap forward in this project by announcing a collaboration with HTC VIVE, leveraging their engineering expertise.

Strategic Acquisition of HTC VIVE Engineers to Enhance XR Development

Google’s ambitious drive does not solely involve alliances with Samsung and Qualcomm; the tech giant is also engaging various software and hardware manufacturers to elevate its Android AR glasses and VR headsets project. This escalating commitment is further underscored by Google’s recent decision to integrate select members of the HTC VIVE engineering team, as disclosed in a statement via their official blog.

The announcement reveals Google’s strategic agreement with HTC to acquire members of the HTC XR Team, highlighting the importance of this collaboration in advancing the VR landscape. According to the blog:

Some of the HTC VIVE engineering team are hopping over to Google in order to accelerate the development of the Android XR platform across the headsets and glasses ecosystem. And with these employees comes some exciting hardware expertise.

According to a press release from HTC, Google made a significant investment of approximately $250 million for the transfer of select members from the HTC XR team. This partnership also grants Google a non-exclusive license for HTC’s XR intellectual property (IP), encouraging both companies to explore future collaboration opportunities while HTC remains committed to its existing XR product line. HTC emphasized:

This agreement reinforces HTC’s strategy of continued development around the XR ecosystem, enabling a more streamlined product portfolio focused on platforms, greater operational efficiency, and financial flexibility. HTC’s commitment to delivering innovative VIVE XR solutions such as the VIVE Focus Vision remains unchanged, with existing product lines to be supported and developed without interruption.

This isn’t the first instance of Google recruiting HTC employees to bolster its in-house development; however, this recent move signifies a pivotal progression towards launching the XR headset, expected to debut later this year.

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