Google's absence on Android XR worries indie VR developers

At the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2025, Google focused on its Gemini technology for video games and mobile gaming advancements. However, it did not address Android XR, which left many indie VR developers feeling ignored. Reports suggest that many top developers for the Meta Quest platform were rejected from Google's Android XR boot camps, raising concerns about the future of Android-based VR headsets such as Project Moohan. Google is a regular at GDC but this year chose not to engage with indie VR developers through panels or demos. In contrast, Meta promoted its new passthrough technology and shared success stories from its store. Some developers worry that Google's lack of outreach could diminish Android XR's chance for success, similar to past failures with platforms like Stadia and Daydream. While Android XR supports popular development tools like Unity, many in the industry feel that Google is overlooking the value of smaller developers. RJ White, a VR developer, criticized Google for shutting out experienced developers, stating that this could lead to a lack of diversity and innovation in the Android XR ecosystem. He argued that by prioritizing big teams, Google may miss the creativity that smaller studios can offer. Samsung's upcoming headset, Project Moohan, may target business and productivity markets rather than focusing heavily on gaming. Speculations about the pricing of new Android XR devices have led some to believe that Google may not see gaming as a priority, especially if major hardware partners lean towards enterprise applications. As the gaming community awaits Google's I/O 2025 event in May, hope remains that the company may still support indie developers and build momentum for Android XR in the gaming sector.