Meta axes VR jobs as Reality Labs flounders: Over 100 workers, including staff behind the “Supernatural” fitness app, were cut as the firm pivots away from costly metaverse efforts.

South By Southwest was last week, and AI and VR were all the buzz. Gen Alpha is growing up with these technologies, which means the next generation of consumers will not just be used to AI and VR—they’ll expect to see it. Here are three takeaways from our analyst regarding tech trends at the event.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss which app experiences best transfer over to the new Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headset, whether instant AI-generated videos will be a hit, department stores' path to relevancy, if folks are ready for shoppable media, how marriage is changing in the US, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our analysts Ross Benes, Bill Fisher, and Carina Perkins.

Another delay for Apple’s mixed reality headset: It’s been working on the technology for its next big product since 2015, but now delays are due to software and hardware issues. How can Apple succeed at a time of economic upheaval?

Insights from the Future of Meta report: We look at key VR hardware and software opportunities for Meta’s future as the company leverages its dominance in VR headsets to build its vision for the metaverse.

The metaverse market could shortly get a lot bigger: Apple’s RealityOS, rumored for an announcement next Monday, will encourage many on-the-fence consumers to adopt VR.

In 2026, consumers will collectively use 70 million virtual reality (VR) headsets worldwide, a steep increase from 26 million in 2021.

Extended reality (XR) technologies—including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR)—are still in the early phases of adoption, but they are evolving quickly. While most use cases for VR and AR are still related to gaming, entertainment, and social media, the variety of applications is expanding as more consumers and businesses test out immersive experiences.

While augmented reality is still in the early adoption phase, usage is growing quickly. Recent hardware and software advancements—and backing from big tech companies—are spurring advertisers and marketers to create engaging new experiences for their customers.

While the use of virtual reality is not yet mainstream among consumers, specialized applications of the technology are proving useful in a variety of industries.

Damian Collier, founder and CEO of Blend Media, explains the opportunities and barriers for 360-degree video.

Vinay Narayan, executive director of strategy for HTC Vive, explains why the enterprise market is key to more widespread adoption of VR.

Marketers discuss how much VR, AR and MR—or mixed reality—will grow and coalesce.

Dr. Robert Louis, director of skull base and pituitary surgery at Hoag Neurosciences Institute, explains how VR improves surgical outcomes and boosts patient retention.