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XR platforms set to become key battleground as AI-first devices drive growth, according to report

The Immersive Wire - 21 April 2025

Author

Tom Ffiske
April 21, 2025

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: ABI Research predicts XR platforms will become a key battleground as AI-first devices fuel market growth (analysis below)

  • Book: I published a book, called Your Book of Inspiration (more details immediately below).

  • London event: The Immersive Wire and City, University of London is hosting another event on 21 May, this time on education and XR. Come along! And if your company can speak in-person on the topic, let me know.

  • Other stories: Dedicated Computing and Vrgineers team up on XR pilot training bundles, frontline.io raises $10M to scale its industrial XR-AI platform, Gateway Chamber Orchestra launches La Pasión XR on Steam and Epic. (more stories and links below).

I published a (very short) book!

Your Book of Inspiration is a lovingly assembled collection of snippets, thoughts, and fragments gathered over the past couple of years. It’s a creative grab-bag for curious minds — featuring unusual facts, personal essays, and evocative words to nudge your imagination into motion.

This is not a grand or massive work - it is short, and it is priced with that in mind. And if you want an ebook version outside of Amazon’s ecosystem, drop me a note.

I hope you enjoy!

Buy on Amazon: UK, USA, Italy, Spain, France, Germany 

That’s enough chocolate for one lifetime.

Tom Ffiske, Editor of the Immersive Wire

Top story

ABI Research predicts XR platforms will become a key battleground as AI-first devices fuel market growth.

  • How so? Apparently, Smart glasses without displays (so think glasses you can talk to) are projected to grow at a 48% CAGR through 2030, signalling a new frontier in wearable tech. A natural area for XR.

  • Let me guess; open standards were mentioned again? Yup. Siloed systems will struggle to scale, with the market favouring hardware-agnostic and open-source approaches.

  • And who will win long-term? Companies that prioritise operating systems, content ecosystems, and developer support.

Other stories

  • Dedicated Computing has partnered with Vrgineers to co-develop integrated XR training bundles combining high-performance computing systems with professional VR headsets and simulators for pilot training.

  • frontline.io has raised $10 million in a Series A round led by FIT Ventures and Click Bond to expand its no-code XR and AI platform for industrial training and maintenance.

  • Gateway Chamber Orchestra has released La Pasión XR, a VR adaptation of Golijov’s La Pasión según San Marcos, developed with Agile Lens and now available on Steam and Epic Games Store.

  • Infinite Reality has agreed to acquire agentic AI company Touchcast for $500 million, integrating its Mentorverse platform across iR's products to enhance user engagement, support, and sales through immersive AI agents.

  • Les Mills and Odders Lab have launched their XR fitness app LES MILLS XR BODYCOMBAT on Steam.

  • StoryFutures has published a report showing that VR experiences in UK independent cinemas are viable, socially engaging, and align with cinema-going habits, offering a scalable model for VR distribution.

  • Schell Games and Innersloth have announced that Among Us 3D, a fully immersive 3D version of the hit game, will launch on 6 May 2025 for PC via Steam.

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.