XR Association
More actions
| XR Association | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Type | Trade association |
| Industry | Extended reality |
| Founded | 7 December 2016 (announced as the Global Virtual Reality Association); renamed XR Association in 2018 |
| Founder | Acer Starbreeze, Google, HTC Vive, Oculus (Facebook), Samsung, Sony Interactive Entertainment (2016 founding members) |
| Headquarters | 10 G St NE, Washington, D.C., United States |
| Notable Personnel | Elizabeth Hyman (founding CEO, 2019-2026); Stephanie Montgomery (interim CEO from October 2026); James Green (board chair) |
| Products | XRA Developers Guide; AR/VR Policy Conference (with ITIF); policy research |
| Website | https://xra.org |
The XR Association (XRA) is a United States trade association for companies that build and use virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality technology, grouped together as extended reality (XR). It was announced on 7 December 2016 as the Global Virtual Reality Association (GVRA). The change to its current name, made to reflect a scope that took in augmented reality, mixed reality and future XR technologies as well as VR, was announced on 29 October 2018.[1][2] Its website lists Google, HTC Vive, Microsoft, Meta and Sony Interactive Entertainment as its founders, a list that differs from the 2016 GVRA founding group described below, and the association is based at 10 G St NE in Washington, D.C.[3]
XRA publishes a multi-chapter Developers Guide of design best practices, advocates on XR policy in Washington, D.C., and co-hosts the annual AR/VR Policy Conference with the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF).[3][4] IRS records summarized by ProPublica classify it as a 501(c)(6) organization (business leagues and similar bodies), so donations to it are not tax deductible.[5] On 6 October 2026 the association announced that it would conclude operations at the end of 2026.[6]
History
Global Virtual Reality Association (2016-2018)
The Global Virtual Reality Association was announced on 7 December 2016 in a press release datelined Menlo Park, California. Its founding members were Acer Starbreeze, Google, HTC Vive, Facebook's Oculus, Samsung and Sony Interactive Entertainment, which together announced it as a non-profit organization of international headset manufacturers. The group said it would "develop and share best practices for industry and foster dialogue between public and private stakeholders around the world", conduct research, and act as a resource for consumers, policymakers and industry.[1] GSMArena, reporting the launch, tied each member to its headset business at the time (Oculus, Vive, Daydream, PlayStation VR, Gear VR, and Starbreeze for Acer) and described a two-tier membership in which sponsor members voted on VR matters and regular members manufactured association-approved equipment.[7]
Rename and first developer guide (2018-2019)
On 29 October 2018 the XR Association announced that it had recently changed its name from the Global Virtual Reality Association, saying the new name reflected an industry that now included augmented reality, mixed reality and future XR technologies. The same announcement released "XR Primer 1.0: A Starter Guide for Developers" and launched the XRA.org website. Members at that point were Google, HTC Vive, Facebook and Oculus, Samsung, Sony Interactive Entertainment and StarVR Corp. Debbie Girolamo, senior corporate counsel at HTC Vive, was quoted as XRA president.[2]
On 12 June 2019 XRA named Elizabeth Hyman as its first chief executive officer. Hyman had been executive vice president of public advocacy at the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA). The announcement quoted Amy Fox, head of legal at Oculus, as president of the XRA board.[8] Microsoft joined the following month, with assistant general counsel Heidi Holman taking a board seat. UploadVR, which described Google, Facebook, Sony, HTC Vive and Samsung as the founding members, reported that Microsoft would support the association's policy, advocacy and government affairs work and that XRA planned to define and promote standards.[9]
Growth and policy work (2020-2025)
In March 2020 XRA, the law firm Perkins Coie and the venture firm Boost VC released the fourth annual Augmented and Virtual Reality Survey of startups, enterprise firms and investors. In it, three-quarters of respondents expected the AR market to eventually pass VR in total revenue.[10]
On 3 February 2022 XRA added Accenture, Qualcomm and Unity as members, along with other companies including Cognixion, Foundry 45, GameDriver and OVR Technology.[11] In April 2022 the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) published "Thinking Ahead About XR: Charting a Course for Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality", a report drafted by BPC after a year-long partnership with XRA. It covered privacy, security, economic issues, access, inclusion and safety.[12] By October 2022 the association said it had more than 40 member companies, and announced new members including ArborXR, Cognitive3D, the Family Online Safety Institute, HaptX and Transfr.[13]
XRA said its advocacy helped get XR included among the key technology focus areas eligible for National Science Foundation and NIST research funding under the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.[14] It backed H.Res. 1399, a resolution offered by co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality Technologies (the Reality Caucus) to designate November as "National XR Month"; Representatives Darrell Issa, Suzan DelBene, Yvette Clarke and Ted Lieu were among the lawmakers working on it. XRA announced that it would host the first National XR Month that November.[14] In December 2022 it supported H.R. 9674, the Immersive Technology for the American Workforce Act from Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester, which would fund XR training at community colleges and technical centers; XRA said it had worked with her staff on the draft.[15]
At its Limitless Future Conference in Atlanta on 1 November 2022, XRA launched the XR for All Foundation, a related body aimed at a more diverse XR workforce. Hyman became the foundation's president, with Jessica Lindl of Unity as board chair.[16]
The United States Leadership in Immersive Technology Act, which XRA endorsed, was introduced on 11 December 2024 by Representatives Suzan DelBene and August Pfluger and Senators Marsha Blackburn and Mark Warner. It would create an interagency advisory panel on XR under the Secretary of Commerce.[17] The same four lawmakers reintroduced it on 24 March 2025.[18] In December 2024 six more members joined, among them Owlchemy Labs, ReframeXR and Chocolate Milk & Donuts.[19]
Wind-down (2026)
On 6 October 2026 XRA announced that it would conclude operations at the end of 2026, describing its "seven-year mission" as complete. Board chair James Green, Google's representative, said XR had become "a foundational and critical piece of the larger tech stack". The decision followed a board-level discussion prompted by Hyman's retirement. Hyman stepped back from day-to-day operations to serve as an emeritus advisor through the end of 2026, and Stephanie Montgomery, senior vice president of research and best practices, became interim CEO until the closure.[6]
The association said its programming would continue through the rest of 2026 and that it would direct resources to longtime partners:[6]
- ITIF will produce the AR/VR Policy Conference for at least three more years and create an "XRA Legacy" designation that gives XRA member companies chances to take part in ITIF meetings, roundtables, congressional staff visits and similar programs.
- Bipartisan Policy Center Action (BPC Action) will continue XRA's advocacy, including for the United States Leadership in Immersive Technology Act and the Immersive Technology for the American Workforce Act.
- The International Virtual Reality and Healthcare Association (IVRHA) will help finish the report from XRA's healthcare workshops.
The announcement named Meta, Google, HTC Vive and Qualcomm among the current members.[6]
Developers Guide
The XRA Developers Guide is a series of best-practice documents for people building XR hardware and software. It grew out of the XR Primer starter guides; the first was released with the 2018 rename.[2] The second edition, "Guidance for Culture, Conduct, and Content in XR Environments", followed on 20 December 2019 and set out design guidance for respectful, safe and inclusive immersive experiences, with a focus on online safety and inclusion.[20] The accessibility chapter was written with input from member companies and accessibility advocates, including the XR Access Initiative.[21]
| Chapter | Title | Released |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fundamental Design Principles for Immersive Experiences (first issued as XR Primer 1.0) | October 2018; revised December 2024[2][22] |
| 2 | Creating Safe, Inclusive, and Respectful Immersive Experiences (first issued as XR Primer 2.0) | December 2019; revised August 2025[20][23] |
| 3 | Accessibility & Inclusive Design in Immersive Experiences | 28 October 2020[21] |
| 4 | Designing Immersive Learning for Secondary Education | November 2022[24] |
| 5 | Designing Immersive Solutions for Healthcare | January 2024[25] |
| 6 | Designing for Youth Engagement and Wellbeing in Immersive Experiences | October 2025[26] |
AR/VR Policy Conference
The AR/VR Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. brings industry, policymakers and researchers together, and ITIF and XRA present it jointly. The fifth annual edition took place on 9 September 2025 at the AT&T Forum.[4] The sixth was scheduled for 24 September 2026 at the same venue and opened with a panel on open-source XR and open standards.[27] Under the closure plan, ITIF will keep running the conference.[6]
Finances
Form 990 returns for fiscal years 2020 to 2025 are summarized below, as published by ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer. ProPublica records the association's tax exemption as issued in September 2021.[5]
| Year | Total revenue (US$) | Total expenses (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 525,107 | 784,522 |
| 2021 | 1,578,379 | 2,540,433 |
| 2022 | 7,490,962 | 3,894,951 |
| 2023 | 2,004,379 | 3,681,996 |
| 2024 | 2,296,646 | 3,014,577 |
| 2025 | 3,160,291 | 2,908,749 |
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Virtual Reality Industry Leaders Come Together to Create New Association". PR Newswire. Global Virtual Reality Association. 2016-12-07. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/virtual-reality-industry-leaders-come-together-to-create-new-association-300372928.html. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "VR/AR Industry Leaders Release Starter Guide For Developers, Expand Association Focus". PR Newswire. XR Association. 2018-10-29. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vrar-industry-leaders-release-starter-guide-for-developers-expand-association-focus-300739387.html. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "About". XR Association. https://xra.org/about/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "AR/VR Policy Conference 2025". Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. https://itif.org/events/2025/09/09/arvr-policy-conference-2025/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "XR Association - Nonprofit Explorer". ProPublica. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/850836692. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 "XR Association Marks Successful Completion of Its Mission to Drive XR Into the Mainstream". XR Association. 2026-10-06. https://xra.org/xr-association-marks-successful-completion-of-its-mission-to-drive-xr-into-the-mainstream/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
- ↑ Peter (2016-12-08). "Global VR Association formed by Samsung, Sony, HTC, Google, others". GSMArena. https://www.gsmarena.com/global_vr_association_formed_by_samsung_sony_htc_google_others-blog-22065.php. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
- ↑ "XR Association Names Elizabeth Hyman As Chief Executive Officer". PR Newswire. XR Association. 2019-06-12. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/xr-association-names-elizabeth-hyman-as-chief-executive-officer-300866037.html. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
- ↑ Ian Hamilton (2019-07-18). "Microsoft Joins XR Association Promoting 'Responsible Development And Adoption Of AR And VR'". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/microsoft-xr-association/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
- ↑ "XR Association Releases Results of Fourth Augmented and Virtual Reality Survey". XR Association. 2020-03-30. https://xra.org/xr-association-releases-results-of-fourth-augmented-and-virtual-reality-survey/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
- ↑ "The XR Association announces new member companies including Accenture, Qualcomm and Unity". Auganix. 2022-02-03. https://www.auganix.org/the-xr-association-announces-new-member-companies-including-accenture-qualcomm-and-unity/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
- ↑ "The XR Association and Bipartisan Policy Center Release Report on Immersive Technology". XR Association. 2022-04-13. https://xra.org/xra-and-bpc-release-report-on-immersive-technology/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
- ↑ "Continuing Its Expansion, the XR Association Surpasses 40 Member Companies". XR Association. 2022-10-18. https://xra.org/continuing-its-expansion-the-xr-association-surpasses-40-member-companies/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "XRA to Host Inaugural "National XR Month"". XR Association. 2022-09-28. https://xra.org/xra-to-host-inaugural-national-xr-month/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
- ↑ "XRA Applauds the Introduction of Critical XR Workforce Bill". XR Association. 2022-12-22. https://xra.org/xra-applauds-the-introduction-of-critical-xr-workforce-bill/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
- ↑ "XR Association Announces Launch of XR for All Foundation". XR Association. 2022-11-01. https://xra.org/xra-announces-launch-of-xr-for-all-foundation/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
- ↑ "XR Association Applauds the Introduction of the "United States Leadership in Immersive Technology Act of 2024"". XR Association. 2024-12-11. https://xra.org/xr-association-applauds-the-introduction-of-the-united-states-leadership-in-immersive-technology-act-of-2024/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
- ↑ "XR Association Applauds Introduction of the "United States Leadership in Immersive Technology Act of 2025"". XR Association. 2025-03-24. https://xra.org/xr-association-applauds-introduction-of-the-united-states-leadership-in-immersive-technology-act-of-2025/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
- ↑ "The XR Association Welcomes Six New Member Companies Including Owlchemy and ReframeXR". XR Association. 2024-12-10. https://xra.org/the-xr-association-welcomes-six-new-member-companies-including-owlchemy-and-reframexr/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 "XR Association, Voice of XR Manufacturers, Releases Update to Developers Guide". PR Newswire. XR Association. 2019-12-20. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/xr-association-voice-of-xr-manufacturers-releases-update-to-developers-guide-300978491.html. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 "XR Association releases update to its Developers Guide with focus on accessibility in XR". Auganix. 2020-10-28. https://www.auganix.org/xr-association-releases-update-to-its-developers-guide-with-focus-on-accessibility-in-xr/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
- ↑ "XRA's Developers Guide, Chapter One: Fundamental Design Principles for Immersive Experiences". XR Association. https://xra.org/research/xr-primer-1-0-a-starter-guide-for-developers/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
- ↑ "XRA's Developers Guide, Chapter Two: Creating Safe, Inclusive, and Respectful Immersive Experiences". XR Association. https://xra.org/research/xr-primer-2-0-a-starter-guide-for-developers/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
- ↑ "XRA's Developers Guide, Chapter Four: Designing Immersive Learning for Secondary Education". XR Association. 2022-11. https://xra.org/research/xras-developers-guide-chapter-four-designing-immersive-learning-for-secondary-education/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
- ↑ "XRA's Developers Guide, Chapter Five: Designing Immersive Solutions for Healthcare". XR Association. 2024-01. https://xra.org/research/xras-developers-guide-chapter-five-designing-immersive-solutions-for-healthcare/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
- ↑ "XRA's Developers Guide, Chapter Six: Designing for Youth Engagement and Wellbeing in Immersive Experiences". XR Association. 2025-10. https://xra.org/research/xras-developers-guide-chapter-six-designing-for-youth-engagement-and-wellbeing-in-immersive-experiences/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
- ↑ "ARVR Policy to Examine Open-Source XR as America's New Digital Frontier". XR Association. 2026-06-15. https://xra.org/arvr-policy-to-examine-open-source-xr-as-americas-new-digital-frontier/. Retrieved 2026-10-06.