Nearly half of Brits are not interested in smart glasses at all, according to YouGov

Executive summary

Welcome to your weekly briefing on the metaverse and spatial computing. Here are your snippets to sound smarter in meetings this week:

• Top Story: Nearly half of Brits are not interested in smart glasses at all, according to YouGov (analysis below)

• Event: Meet up with other industry professionals on 30 October in London! Can you speak on the topic? Let me know at tom (at) immersivewire (dot) com.

• Study: The University of Bath and University of Exeter have launched a research project using VR driving simulators to help autistic people overcome anxiety and build confidence behind the wheel.

• Other stories: Amazon launched Prime Vision, an alternative Champions League broadcast feed in the UK that overlays live football matches with augmented reality graphics, tactical maps, and real-time performance data (more below).

Top story

Nearly half of Brits are not interested in smart glasses at all, according to YouGov.

• I know, you probably expected me to cover the Meta Ray-Ban Display. And yes, they are pretty cool! This video gives a great overview if you are keen. Leo Gebbie from CCS Insight: “I don’t imagine Meta will be too concerned about the uptake of its new smart glasses – I see these more of a proof of concept than a mass market product. At the $799 price point, they’re too expensive to be an impulse buy, and will probably only be bought by tech enthusiasts.”

• But at the same time, YouGov surveyed a lot of Brits and asked how keen they are. And not as many are. So let’s pivot on this a little.

• What does this mean? I think it comes down to value proposition. It’s an early technology, and with not as many current applications. Once it is out and has wider use, and has a more hands-on experience, perhaps it may get adoption. Perhaps that’s why Meta is considering opening a store in London. 

Other stories

• Amazon launched Prime Vision, an alternative Champions League broadcast feed in the UK that overlays live football matches with augmented reality graphics, tactical maps, and real-time performance data.

• Forever has expanded its global creative group by adding London-based Found and Barcelona-based Trizz, joining FutureDeluxe, Tendril, and Builders Club to form a five-studio collective across four continents.

• Looking Glass has unveiled its Hololuminescent Display, a new razor-thin technology that converts standard video into lifelike 3D holograms without requiring specialised 3D software pipelines.

• Loughborough University has launched DigiLabs, a £5.8 million suite of digital learning spaces focused on AI, extended reality, robotics, and 3D data capture to prepare students for future workplaces.

• Meta has launched Hyperscape Capture in Early Access, enabling Quest users to scan real rooms and generate photorealistic virtual replicas, with future support planned for private sharing.

• Music In Mind has launched Coastal Voice in Grimsby, an augmented reality digital gallery developed with Gazooky Studios and the European Space Agency that delivers community video operas, interviews and art via QR codes.

• Sandbox VR, in collaboration with the Natural History Museum London and paleontologist Dr. Darren Naish, will launch Age of Dinosaurs in early 2026 as a scientifically accurate family-friendly VR experience across its 60+ global locations.

• School of Machines is launching a new course exploring the history and design of immersive experiences, covering game design, non-linear narratives, multisensory approaches, accessibility, and institutional critique.

• Unesco will unveil the Museum of Stolen Cultural Objects on 29 September, a virtual platform using 3D modelling and VR to recreate looted artefacts and raise awareness of illicit trafficking.

• Unwired Dance Theatre has released a case study and Toolkit from its accessible immersive performance Where We Meet, offering one of the first sector-wide resources for embedding creative access into XR and live experiences.

• A pilot study found that Virtuleap’s VR-based cognitive assessments showed reliable correlations with some standard tests for cancer-related cognitive impairment, suggesting VR could help detect subtle changes in “chemo brain” not captured by traditional methods.

• Vizrt has released Arena 6, an upgraded live AR graphics solution that uses embedded AI for faster, more precise keying, masking, and virtual ad placement in sports broadcasts.

Note: The Immersive Wire is run by Tom Ffiske, who also works at Accenture. The contents of the newsletter should not be regarded as Accenture’s views.

All spelling mistakes are deliberate, actually.