Sony transfers 418 XR patents to Meta

Sony is transferring a total of 418 extended reality (XR) related patents to Meta, according to reports and filings with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The transfer includes 118 U.S. patents and 300 family patents filed in regions including Japan, China, South Korea, and Europe. The patents cover technologies related to virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and head-mounted display (HMD) systems.

Industry analysts suggest this move indicates Sony is scaling back its XR hardware business. While Sony is a major supplier of OLEDoS (OLED on Silicon) displays used in Apple’s Vision Pro and Samsung’s Galaxy XR, the company previously declined requests from Apple to expand OLEDoS production capacity.

Meanwhile, Meta is aggressively expanding its presence in the AI glasses market. Data from Omdia shows that global AI glasses shipments reached 4.2 million units in the first half of the year, a 127% increase year-over-year, with Meta holding an 81% market share. In China, competition is rising among manufacturers such as Alibaba, INMO, and Xiaomi.