HTC at MWC 2025: AI-Powered XR Builds a Future of Immersive Experiences

HTC at MWC 2025: AI-Powered XR Builds a Future of Immersive ExperiencesAt MWC 2025 in Barcelona, HTC's booth captivated attendees with a breathtaking demonstration: a single hand gesture triggered a spectacular fireworks display on a giant LED screen behind the user, seamlessly integrated with the backdrop of Casa Batll's Gothic architecture, creating a truly Hollywood-esque experience. This wasn't movie magic, but a real-time interaction powered by HTC's new VIVEMars virtual production system

HTC at MWC 2025: AI-Powered XR Builds a Future of Immersive Experiences

At MWC 2025 in Barcelona, HTC's booth captivated attendees with a breathtaking demonstration: a single hand gesture triggered a spectacular fireworks display on a giant LED screen behind the user, seamlessly integrated with the backdrop of Casa Batll's Gothic architecture, creating a truly Hollywood-esque experience. This wasn't movie magic, but a real-time interaction powered by HTC's new VIVEMars virtual production system. AI-driven camera tracking and 3D generation technology are blurring the lines between the virtual and real worlds at an unprecedented pace, heralding a "phygital" (physical-digital) industrial revolution. As a veteran in the XR field, HTC is leveraging AI to reshape industry rules, transitioning from a hardware manufacturer to an ecosystem builder, ushering in a new chapter in its development.

HTC's Global Senior Vice President and Head of Global Sales & Marketing, Alvin Huang, stated in an interview with Global Times Technology that HTC has shifted its strategic focus to the high-end B2B market. Through its "AI + toolchain" strategy, HTC aims to lower the barrier to entry for 3D content creation, fostering synergistic hardware and software development. Leveraging 5G/6G networks and extensive ecosystem partnerships, HTC is vying for a leading position in the immersive interaction space.

AI + XR: The Dawn of Universal Creation

"Previously, creating 3D content took months; now, by simply shooting an 8-minute video with a phone and utilizing AI large language models, a complete virtual 4S store scene can be generated in 3 hours," Huang revealed, highlighting the core technology behind this transformative change HTC's VIVERSE platform showcased at MWC 2025. This is an AI tool designed for average users, requiring no coding experience to generate 3D content.

The VIVERSE platform comprises several core components, each with a specific function, collectively creating a low-barrier 3D content creation ecosystem. VIVERSE Create, like LEGO bricks, allows users to build virtual worlds in a simple and intuitive way, generating tutorials, games, and exhibitions with ease. VIVEMars enables AI real-time rendering, drastically reducing the cost of movie-level virtual production by 80%. VIVERSE for Business focuses on commercial applications, such as creating digital twins of car showrooms to analyze training effectiveness using heat maps, and employing AI virtual humans as "top salespeople" for natural language interaction with customers.

Discussing AI's impact on the content ecosystem, Huang emphasized that "AI doesn't replace humans; it lowers the barrier to creation." He believes AI effectively lowers the barrier to entry but cannot replace human artistic creativity. HTC's strategy is clear: by lowering the barrier to 3D content creation, it addresses the XR industry's long-standing pain point content scarcity. Just as the rise of video websites 20 years ago empowered everyone to become creators, HTC hopes to activate the UGC ecosystem of the "3D internet" through AI toolchains, enabling more people to participate in building the virtual world and thus driving the industry's prosperity.

Deep Cultivation of the B-end Market: Customized Services Build Competitiveness

In stark contrast to Meta's strategy of targeting the consumer market with a $399 price point, HTC has chosen a different path: focusing on the high-end B-end market. This decision is underpinned by a clear business logic.

For customized scenarios, HTC provides deeply customized solutions to European and American clients, covering various fields such as military and police training and industrial maintenance. In terms of information security, HTC's ISO security certifications have secured orders from government and healthcare sectors. In hardware-software synergy, HTC's smart factory solutions have achieved digital monitoring of the entire manufacturing process.

Huang stated, "B-end clients are willing to pay for solutions, not just hardware." This positioning as a "solution provider" allows HTC to effectively avoid direct competition with Meta, Apple, and others in the consumer market and establish strong competitive barriers in industries such as industrial, education, and healthcare.

Currently, the cultural sector is a key area of breakthrough for HTC. At MWC 2025's "Gaud: The Sacred Workshop" experience zone, visitors could freely explore the virtual dome of the Sagrada Famlia. This immersive exhibition, supported by LBE (Location-Based Entertainment) large-scale technology, has become HTC's "breakthrough tool." Similar immersive exhibitions have been launched in over 20 cities worldwide, from Notre Dame Cathedral to the Great Pyramid of Giza; the combination of historical IPs and XR technology has attracted significant offline traffic. HTC, along with its partners, emphasizes high-quality storytelling, differentiating itself from "fast-food VR experiences." The business model, through ticket revenue sharing and IP licensing, has resulted in rapid revenue growth.

HTC defines these immersive exhibitions as "the movie theaters of the XR world," catering to both entertainment needs and cultural preservation while providing a practical application for XR hardware. "People watch short videos on their phones, but they are also willing to pay for offline immersive experiences," Huang noted.

Future Outlook: Balancing Thin and Light Challenges with 6G Opportunities

Regarding future development, Huang acknowledged that hardware and network infrastructure still pose challenges. While XR headsets now support MR pass-through and hand tracking, battery life and device weight need improvement. For example, some models still require external power supplies to ensure two hours of battery life. While voice commands are gradually replacing physical buttons, users still require the tactile feedback of controllers in some gaming scenarios. Furthermore, the explosive growth of immersive content requires 6G network support, while operators are still focusing on the return on investment for 5G networks.

Despite these challenges, the future trend is clear. HTC's roadmap indicates that from 2025 to 2030, the XR industry will go through three stages: "tool popularization content explosion scenario reconstruction." The convergence of AI and 5.5G technology may accelerate this process.

Amidst the bustling crowd at MWC 2025, HTC's booth lacked flashy AR glasses or grand narratives about the "metaverse." Instead, AI-generated 3D workshops and 5G-powered smart factories quietly defined the pragmatic future of XR technology. "XR doesn't replace reality; it enriches it," Huang concluded.

HTC's transformation journey offers a valuable lesson to the industry: maintaining clarity amidst technological frenzy and finding the right leverage point in the ecosystem battle. True disruption never comes from simply stacking up specifications; it comes from grounding technology in real-world needs. HTC's future is worth anticipating.

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