We have been doing a series of talks on the future of immersive content – there’s about to be a step change in the industry – the re-emergence of immersive wearables.

Snap’s ‘Spectacles’

It really feels like there is a step change in the quality and the potential of these devices.

Headsets were supposed to change everything… ten years ago. We’ve all seen the promise – and the letdowns. So why does it feel like 2025 might be the year they finally stick?

Well, there is real momentum across the wearables industry – not just from the usual suspects. Meta’s upcoming Orion headset, Apple’s Vision Pro, Lenovo’s ThinkReality lineup, HTC’s enterprise-first strategy… even Magic Leap is making a measured comeback.

The Meta Orion Headset

Add to that Samsung’s upcoming XR headset, built in collaboration with Google and Qualcomm, which is set to join the race with a device that promises to blend high-end mobile performance with immersive visuals. The big players aren’t just testing the waters — they’re diving in.

These devices are sleeker, faster, and increasingly open to developers. But the friction’s still there: high prices, bulky form factors, limited battery life.

That said, this no longer feels like a hardware race in search of a reason. We’re entering a phase where the use cases – from enterprise training to real-time visualisation – are driving the demand.

Here’s your author doing the virtual try on with a pair of Ray-Ban smart glasses

Meta’s heavy investment in wearables continues, most recently through its partnership with Ray-Ban on smart glasses, which are already gaining consumer traction (link here). New versions are going to carry further integration of AI and better vision, before the trickle down of tech from Meta’s project Orion (link here).

At CES this year, a wave of new smart glasses made headlines – many earning innovation awards. The technology feels more tangible now, more in reach than it has before.

At VISUALISE, we’ve lived through the hype cycles. We’ve learned to separate buzz from backbone. What we’re seeing now? It’s got legs.