LG was beforehand tapped to companion with Meta to advance its XR efforts, nonetheless after high-level talks fell by, LG has now confirmed it’s closed its XR product division, as a substitute specializing in long-term analysis and growth.
Based on South Korean information outlet The Bell (by way of UploadVR), LG is tuning down its XR efforts, which included the disbandment of the group accountable for XR merchandise late final yr.
LG confirmed the information with The Bell in a Korean language assertion, machine translated from Korean:
“Though the event group below the HE Enterprise Division has disappeared, analysis and growth (R&D) is being performed inside the CTO division,” LG advised The Bell. “We determined to delay the commercialization plan and give attention to R&D.”
Earlier studies from Might 2024 advised the LG/Meta deal was already on skinny ice, as insiders alleged the South Korean tech large wasn’t full steam forward, however quite “controlling its tempo”. Then, in June 2024, LG introduced was shaking up its XR product division, which was uncommon for the corporate.
The information comes practically one yr after Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg visited LG’s South Korea headquarters, the place the 2 corporations agreed to collectively develop XR merchandise.
On the time, LG mentioned hoped to carry its personal content material/service capabilities to Meta’s platform, which might recommend LG was largely excited about a profitable content material deal. Whereas unconfirmed, it was nonetheless rumored as early as 2023 that Meta was contracting LG to fabricate a competitor to Imaginative and prescient Professional.
LG has been a minor participant in XR, having solely productized a single XR headset, its 2016 smartphone-tethered LG 360 VR headset for immersive media viewing, which resulting from poor reception by no means noticed a follow-up.
Then, in 2017, the corporate introduced it was engaged on a PC VR headset for SteamVR, nonetheless the venture was quietly deserted.
