Google buys part of HTC’s XR business for $250M

Google has agreed to acquire part of HTC’s extended-reality (XR) business for $250 million, expanding its push into virtual and augmented reality hardware following the recent launch of its Android XR platform.

The deal involves transferring some of the HTC VIVE engineering staff to Google and granting non-exclusive intellectual property rights, according to the Taiwanese firm. HTC will retain rights to use and develop the technology.

The transaction marks the second major deal between the companies after Google’s $1.1 billion purchase of HTC’s smartphone unit in 2017.

Google said the acquisition will accelerate Android XR platform development across headsets and glasses. The move comes as tech giants race to establish dominance in XR technology, with Apple and Meta maintaining their lead in the virtual-reality market.

Google and HTC will explore additional collaboration opportunities, they said.