Google is paying HTC $250 million in cash for a deal that will give the company's bigger plans for Android XR a boost. Under the terms of their agreementSome members of the HTC Vive engineering team will join Google, which describing them as an “incredibly strong technical team with a proven track record in the VR space.” HTC released the consumer version of its first Vive VR headsetwhich was designed in collaboration with Valve, in 2016. Last year, it launched the Vive Focus Vision more than a year after it released its first standalone headset for consumers, the Vive XR Elite.
In addition to absorbing some members of the Vive team, Google will also get a non-exclusive license to use HTC's augmented reality technologies. HTC can still use its own IPs, and it promises to continue to develop and support its XR headsets. The companies will also “explore future collaboration opportunities.” Google said the deal will help “accelerate its headset and glasses ecosystem.” The company laid out its vision for a unified Android XR ecosystem in December, which will include a range of virtual and mixed reality headsets and glasses. We're sure to see the first Android XR device this year, with one codenamed Project Moohan from a Google-Samsung collaboration.
The Google and HTC agreement is still subject to customary closing conditions and will close in the first quarter.
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