Google buys part of HTC's Vive XR team for $250 million

Google has bought a part of HTC's team working on Vive and other XR stuff for a cool $250 million in cash. This amount also grants Google a non-exclusive license for HTC's XR intellectual property.

This, HTC says, will drive the growth of the still very nascent XR ecosystem. Following the deal, Google and HTC will "explore future collaboration opportunities".

For Google, this "helps to further strengthen its commitment to the Android XR platform and its acceleration across the headset and glasses ecosystem, which will help drive the XR industry", according to HTC's official press release. And for HTC itself, this will enable "a more streamlined product portfolio with a focus on platforms, greater operational efficiency and financial flexibility".

The deal is subject to "customary closing conditions" and is expected to close by the end of March.

Google announced Android XR in December, a dedicated OS for VR and XR headsets, and Samsung has just showcased its first such product, codenamed Project Moohan.

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