12 Feb 2026
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Mike Boland
AWE Talks: XR Isn't the Future, It's the Present
Welcome back to AWE Talks, our series that revisits the best AWE conference sessions. With AWE Asia 2026 concluded, we have a fresh batch of session footage to sink our teeth into for weeks to come.
We start our AWE Asia coverage where else... Ori Inbar's signature keynote to kick off the show. With a mix of humor and insights, it sets the tone for the event... and spatial computing's near term.
See the summarized takeaways below, along with the full session video. Stay tuned for more video highlights each week and check out the full library of conference sessions on AWE’s YouTube Channel.
Speakers
Ori Inbar, AWE
Key Takeaways & Analysis
– Humans are biologically spatial. That's how are brains work. And so should computing...
– But many years ago, we chose the unnatural 2D option, because of the underlying tech.
– As Tom Furness once said, We had the dreams, but the technology wasn't there.
– But with the rise of spatial computing is there an opportunity to align with human cognition?
– That continues to be the dream but it's been much more gradual than many have estimated.
– Early projections pegged 2013 as the time when XR and smartphone trendlines intersect.
– It has obviously taken a bit longer, but the gradual shift doesn't mean it's not coming.
– In fact, there's ample momentum and traction, most of which isn't given due credit.
– For example, is a $29 billion market, including hardware, software, and supporting tech.
Want more XR insights and multimedia? ARtillery Intelligence offers an indexed and searchable library of XR intelligence known as ARtillery Pro. See more here.
– Humans are biologically spatial. That's how are brains work. And so should computing...
– But many years ago, we chose the unnatural 2D option, because of the underlying tech.
– As Tom Furness once said, We had the dreams, but the technology wasn't there.
– But with the rise of spatial computing is there an opportunity to align with human cognition?
– That continues to be the dream but it's been much more gradual than many have estimated.
– Early projections pegged 2013 as the time when XR and smartphone trendlines intersect.
– It has obviously taken a bit longer, but the gradual shift doesn't mean it's not coming.
– In fact, there's ample momentum and traction, most of which isn't given due credit.
– For example, is a $29 billion market, including hardware, software, and supporting tech.
– That’s about the size of the film industry, and growing faster than GDP.
– A16Z says that XR is the most underrated tech market today.
– Meanwhile additional confidence flows from XR's latest force multiplier: AI.
– Though the common belief is that AI steals XR's thunder, in reality it will elevate it.
– Though AI sucks all the air out of the room (and funding!) it will have net benefit on XR.
– Among other things, it makes XR more capable and robust throughout the stack.
– For example, AI can be largely attributed for Ray-Ban Meta's (RBMS) 5 million+ lifetime sales.
– But AI isn't just fueling XR... the inverse is true as XR can elevate AI.
– In other words, AI so far is all about training itself by reading the web .
– But its true opportunity is to see, sense and scan the world, A.K.A, physical AI.
– For example, faceworn wearables provide the perfect vantage point for world models, at scale.
– But to truly understand the spatial spectrum requires segmenting into various device classes.
– Mobile AR and VR are already mainstream, defined as 25-50% adoption.
– Then there's emerging-popularity devices like non-display AI smart glasses (e.g., RBMS).
– Mixed reality devices are also in this category, including Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro.
– Following that are niche markets which are early but promising, such as Vuzix.
– Then we have the early adoption category with full-featured AR glasses like Snap Specs.
– Lastly, the prototype category contains the most futuristic hardware, such as Meta Orion.
– All these device classes will continue to ratchet up, but some have already reached mainstream.
– They will have varying lifecycles but there's meanwhile exiting innovation and traction here today.
– In other words, XR isn't the future... It's the present.
For more color and depth, see the full session below... – In other words, XR isn't the future... It's the present.
Want more XR insights and multimedia? ARtillery Intelligence offers an indexed and searchable library of XR intelligence known as ARtillery Pro. See more here.
