Games Rule Everything Around XR: Why Play Is Still the Fastest Path to Real-World Impact

XR is entering its latest phase following the initial reviews of the Apple Vision Pro, the entrance of Android XR into the market, and the forthcoming Steam Frame. While consumer AR appears to be losing steam, ie, 8thWall shutting down and Niantic Spatial taking a new direction, AI x AR seems to be a new frontier of spatial computing that is viable for consumer Wearables like Meta’s glasses, Snapchat’s Spectacles, and other industries such as robotics and manufacturing. All these factoids aside, Games continue to be the birthplace and north star to the viability of immersive, emerging technologies. Alongside this stellar panel, we’d like to discuss insights into XR gaming and extrapolate them to the wider world around us.

With panelists:
Vinny DaSilva, Developer Relations Technical Lead - Google AndroidXR
Jonathan Jennings, Gameplay Engineer - Owlchemy Labs
Erin Banks, Strategic Advisor - Airlite
Keisha Howard, Founder - Sugar Gamers

About the Speakers:

John Wolff is a product and marketing leader with 12+ years of experience driving growth for mobile games and location-based digital experiences across the U.S. and Japan. He has been invested upon by Niantic and featured on the Netflix Docuseries, The Future Of.

Jonathan Jennings is a software engineer and game designer with over 14 years in the industry, and currently works as a Gameplay Engineer at Owlchemy Labs. Within XR he specializes in games, virtual production tools, educational applications, and B2B tech ventures.