10 Jun 2025 | AWE Team

AWE USA 2025: Day 1 Recap

Virtual Reality Augmented Reality AWE USA 2025

Ori kicked it off with a perfect pool shot made possible by an AR lens on Snap Spectacles to prove XR isn’t just coming, it’s here and it works. From there, he delivered a compelling series of arguments to back his core message: XR is going mainstream. He also pointed out AWE created special experiences for every group such as the XR builder Nexus to empower developers and designers to create content for everyone, The AWE Gaming Hub to supercharge XR gaming, and Enterprise VIP to a custom experience for large businesses scaling XR.


Talk recording available here

2025 is the Year of the XR Master Builder—the newly launched Builders Nexus program at AWE deepens our commitment to supporting designers, developers, and product leaders—hand-picked startups and from top XR hackathons like MIT Reality Hack, Stanford XR, and XR Bootcamp.

The Race for XR Supremacy is still ON:

Main Stage Perspectives from Qualcomm, Snap, and XREAL

The day’s keynotes continued with Ziad Asghar, SVP & GM of XR at Qualcomm, who spoke about scaling spatial computing through better hardware, connectivity, and AI. He highlighted Qualcomm’s commitment to supporting developers and enterprises as XR adoption grows. One of the standout announcements was the Snapdragon AR1+ Gen 1, which pushes AI glasses to a new level—bringing AI directly onto the device, improving image quality, and enabling seamless connectivity right where it’s needed.

Talk recording available here

Then, for the first time at AWE, Evan Spiegel, Co-founder and CEO of Snap, shared the company’s approach to AR as a mainstream tool—underscoring Snap’s ongoing investments in platforms, creators, and developer tools.

Talk recording available here

Later, Chi Xu, CEO of XREAL, offered his view on AR glasses as an everyday product and outlined his company’s roadmap.

Expo Opens: Introducing the Builders and Gamers Stages

At 11:00 AM, the expo floor opened, giving attendees access to 250 booths from leading XR companies including Qualcomm, Snap, Meta, Lenovo, Google, and Niantic.

Two new areas debuted this year:

• The Builders Nexus Stage: Hosting lightning talks from hackathon winners, demo showcases, and speed networking sessions designed for founders and developers.
• The Games Pavilion and Stage: Focused entirely on immersive gaming, with live gameplay, developer panels, and interactive demos.

The AWE Playground returned in its most expansive format to date, with 245 installations and hands-on demos ranging from VR sports and training to narrative and wellness experiences.

Media Access and Announcements

Over 200 members of the press attended Day 1 and received early access to the expo floor during a dedicated media tour. The walkthrough featured exhibitor announcements and product debuts, giving the media a first look at what’s making headlines. See all major announcements here and check out the recording of that tour:

Track Room Sessions Dive into Tools, Trends, and Policy

The track rooms were active throughout the day, with curated sessions across Enterprise, Developer, Creator, XR Policy, and more. A few highlights:

A few session highlights from the day:

• Creator Track: “Unlocking the Potential of AI-generated Content” explored how creators are leveraging generative tools (Meta, Clique Games).
• Developer Track: Unity’s “3D Anywhere” shared techniques for optimizing CAD and BIM data in XR workflows.
• XR Policy Track: A panel led by the XR Association and Qualcomm addressed upcoming legislation, privacy concerns, and the need for cross-industry standards.

Enterprise VIP Program: Roundtables and Dedicated Tours

The Enterprise VIP Program, sponsored by Niantic, offered a structured experience for business leaders attending AWE. On Day 1, VIPs joined dedicated expo tours focused on Manufacturing & Industrial and Retail, Advertising & Marketing, offering targeted access to exhibitors aligned with their sector interests. The afternoon featured private roundtable discussions, including sessions on AR marketing strategy and building the XR business case in manufacturing, providing space for practical dialogue and peer exchange.

🔗 Explore the full Enterprise VIP agenda

These sessions balanced forward-looking discussions with real-world use cases and challenges from within the XR ecosystem.

Up Next: What to Expect on Day 2

Day 2 begins with Brian McClendon (Niantic Spatial) on geospatial intelligence and its role in enabling spatially-aware AI. The morning continues with Nils Pihl (Auki Labs) and Juston Payne (Google) on Android XR. Later in the day, Jason Rubin (Meta) joins for a fireside chat on the evolution of XR gaming.

The Games Pavilion and Builders Nexus continue with live demos, developer showcases, and community meetups. And of course, the day concludes with the 16th Annual Auggie Awards Ceremony, celebrating excellence across 19 XR categories plus meeting the newly inducted Hall of Famers.

Activations: Enhancing the AWE Experience

AWE USA 2025 featured a range of activations designed to enrich the attendee experience. The partnership with XRAI provided AI-powered subtitles in over 75 languages across all four conference stages, ensuring accessibility for a global audience. Attendees could also engage with the "Everybody is a Winner" AR filter, powered by Fyware, allowing them to virtually hold an Auggie Award and share their moment of XR glory. Additional activities included book signings, author events featuring well-known personalities such as Tom Emrich, and the AWE Wellness Walk with Caitlin Krause, offering a somatic and spatial journey into digital wellbeing.

🔗 Explore all activations at AWE USA 2025

Unofficial Afterparty

Following the ceremony, MIT Reality Hack is hosting The Unofficial Afterparty of the 16th Annual Auggie Awards, open to AWE attendees. The event runs from 8:00 PM to 12:00 AM on June 11 and is just a 9-minute walk from the Long Beach Convention Center. RSVP is required.