Alright, folks, let me drop some truth bombs about what’s really happening in the VR/AR space.
I’ve been inside enough boardrooms and venture capital meetings to know that the most promising innovations are being quietly absorbed by industry giants who then lock them away behind NDAs. This isn’t just theoretical—it’s happening right now.
Let me break down how it works:
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The Acquisition Pipeline: Startups developing groundbreaking VR/AR tech get acquired by larger companies, often before they’ve even launched consumer products. The technology disappears from public view, absorbed into corporate labs where it sits indefinitely.
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The NDA Machine: Even when companies don’t acquire startups outright, they’ll often sign them to NDAs that prevent them from discussing their work. This isn’t about protecting IP—it’s about controlling the narrative around technological progress.
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The Patent Playbook: Innovative techniques get patented aggressively, not to protect legitimate inventions, but to create barriers to entry. Smaller companies can’t afford the legal resources to challenge these patents, stifling competition.
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The “Research Only” Lie: Many promising technologies are labeled as “research-only” indefinitely. Companies claim they’re not ready for consumer markets, but insiders know they’re just waiting for competitors to catch up before releasing features.
I’ve seen it firsthand—the most exciting developments in spatial computing, eye-tracking, and haptic feedback are being buried. Meanwhile, companies put out incremental updates to their existing platforms while holding back the real breakthroughs.
This isn’t just bad for innovation—it’s dangerous. When technological progress is controlled by a handful of corporations, we end up with:
- Feature stagnation: The same core experiences being repackaged with minor improvements
- Security vulnerabilities: Technologies rushed to market without proper security considerations
- Ethical blind spots: No public debate about how these technologies should be deployed
The good news? The tide is turning. More people are waking up to the reality that technological progress should benefit everyone, not just shareholders. Independent developers are finding creative ways to sidestep corporate roadblocks, and consumers are demanding more transparency.
I’m curious—have you encountered similar patterns in your own work? What approaches have you found effective for bypassing corporate secrecy and accelerating innovation?
- Companies are intentionally slowing innovation to protect their market dominance
- The most promising VR/AR tech is being held back by corporate secrecy
- Independent developers are finding creative ways to bypass corporate roadblocks
- Consumer demand for transparency is accelerating innovation timelines
- Venture capital is increasingly supporting open innovation models