AWE 2025: When XR Finally Gets Real
After three days wandering the halls of AWE 2025, I'm convinced we've hit an inflection point. This wasn't the usual parade of "someday we'll be able to..." demos. These were polished experiences you could actually use today. The technology has finally caught up to the vision, and the results are fascinating.
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Magic That Actually Feels Magical
Chaossic's Tower of Titans understands something important about VR: making magic feel real requires more than just pretty effects. Their hand-tracking spellcasting system uses iconic gestures that feel natural and powerful.
The game builds around this core mechanic beautifully—you start weak and gradually become an unstoppable force capable of taking on hundreds of enemies and eventually facing massive Titans. The loot and progression systems add depth, but it's the visceral satisfaction of casting spells with your actual hands that kept me coming back to their booth.
They've designed everything for the content creation era, with explosive action and eye-catching visuals that look incredible from any angle. Smart move, considering how much VR gaming lives and dies by shareability.
Movement Finally Gets It Right
The real winner for me was Xelerate VR's ball-bearing omnidirectional treadmill. I've tried several VR treadmill solutions, and this one finally gets it right. The ball-bearing system feels natural from the first step—no awkward sliding or fighting the machine. I played Skyrim VR on it and completely forgot I was on a treadmill.
What sets Xelerate apart is that the developers are clearly gamers themselves. No special shoes required (just low-tread soles), easy to learn, and it doesn't take up much more space than competing systems. They're targeting both consumer and arcade markets, which feels realistic given how intuitive the experience is.
Infinadeck continues pushing their omni-directional approach with Vive Ultimate trackers, mainly targeting medical and military applications. It's tricky to master but impressive once you get the hang of it.
On the simpler end, Anywhere Bungee VR delivers pure terror with just a harness system. They were thoughtfully dress-friendly (important detail!), and the Tokyo tower experience with its countdown and dual tilts for drop and bounce genuinely scared me looking over that edge. The graphics weren't perfect, but sometimes simple execution beats complex technology.
The Surprising Side of VR
Some of the most interesting demos weren't about shooting or racing. Plai's Piano Cafe turns music education into a mixed reality game where you plug your digital piano directly into your Quest via MIDI and learn chords by playing. It's adorable, with two difficulty modes—hard removes the key hint overlays for a real challenge.
I'm not sure how well it'll actually teach piano, but it's incredibly fun if you already have a digital piano. It's the kind of practical application that makes VR feel less like entertainment and more like a tool for actually improving your life.
Flowborne Spirit from Infinity Speaks Studio takes this wellness angle even further. I tried the original Flowborne years ago, and this expansion is beautiful. The breath-powered VR meditation experience uses your controller on your abdomen to detect breathing patterns, propelling you through serene virtual landscapes.
With new locations, enhanced music, and deeper relaxation experiences, it just launched on Quest last week. Watching people emerge from these sessions genuinely relaxed proved that VR's future isn't just about adrenaline.
Even Pencil manages to make something as basic as learning to draw feel magical by overlaying digital guides onto real paper. I drew a palm tree using their mixed reality tracing system, and it was surprisingly cathartic. The variety of lessons with different difficulties makes this an immediate purchase for me.
The Unexpected Physical Future
DeadEyeVR represents a trend I didn't see coming: high-end physical accessories that make VR sports feel authentically real. I've actually tried their products before—the DriVR Elite golf club attachment includes adjustable weights and professional materials to replicate actual golf mechanics. The difference between swinging a controller versus a properly weighted club is night and day.
Their ShadowShot archery system similarly transforms VR archery from gesture-based gaming into something approaching actual sport. At their booth, I checked out a new haptic stock prototype they're working on. These aren't casual accessories—they're tools for people who want to practice real skills in VR.
Gaming That Breaks The Rules
Team 21 Studio's Ilysia MMORPG impressed me with what just four developers can accomplish. Unlike most VR MMOs that feel like boring green plains, they've created a vibrant world with an active community. The game shows what's possible when you focus on compelling environments rather than just checking technical boxes. The game is available on both Quest and Steam.
Games by Stitch's Elsewhere Electric made me want to throw money at my screen immediately. This asymmetric co-op puzzle game mixes Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes with space-themed challenges—one player in VR, one on mobile. With 30 levels at launch that get progressively more challenging, it's the kind of game that makes you realize VR's best experiences often come from creative design rather than raw technology.
Spacebar Arcade showcased something I've never seen before: asymmetric pinball where one player operates the machine normally while the other is teleported inside to fire rockets at their head. The custom arcade cabinet with real flipper buttons and spring launchers creates something physically demanding, completely ridiculous, and absolutely brilliant.
When Horror Gets Smart
Sinister Inn's haunted house experience exceeded my expectations by being smarter about what VR can and can't do well. Using small spaces with winding hallways, they create genuine scares without complex interactions that can break. No interactions actually work in their favor—less tech that can go wrong, perfect for arcades and events.
They have a multiplayer version too, though the solo experience was creepy enough for me. Sometimes the best VR experiences are the ones that understand the medium's limitations.
Fitness That Actually Works
Kinneta Fitness demonstrated VR fitness done right with their Central Park running experience. When connected to a smart treadmill, the game automatically adjusts speed and incline while a trainer gives you a guided tour of the virtual location.
The genius detail is their passthrough box for treadmill controls—you can see and adjust settings without removing your headset, eliminating the fear of missing a step in VR. It's this kind of thoughtful problem-solving that separates good VR from great VR.
When Virtual Meets Living
Vivarium from Studio X hit a personal sweet spot for me as someone getting into indoor plants. Building virtual terrariums and aquariums in mixed reality scratches that nurturing itch perfectly. The ability to place digital habitats around real space feels genuinely magical and taps into something deeper than just gaming.
The AR Revolution Gets Comfortable
XREAL's booth showcased why they've captured nearly 50% of the global consumer AR market with over half a million glasses sold. Their new One Pro glasses, powered by the revolutionary X1 spatial computing chip, represent a genuine leap forward in wearable AR.
The 447-inch equivalent display in a 57-degree field of view is the biggest in the AR glasses space, but what really matters is how they feel after extended use. The TÜV 5-Star comfort certification isn't marketing speak—these actually feel good to wear for extended periods.
The flat-prism NeXus lens design keeps thickness to just 11mm while the built-in Bose audio integration eliminates the need for awkward external speakers. The real-world anchoring system offers 3DoF virtual screens with a 6DoF upgrade option for full immersion experiences.
What impressed me most was the cross-device compatibility—laptops, smartphones via USB-C, game consoles, and 3D content all work seamlessly. These feel like glasses you could actually live with, not just demo with.
What This All Means
AWE 2025 felt different from previous years. Less "look what we might do someday" and more "here's what we're doing right now." The technology has reached a point where experience design matters more than technical capability, and the best demos understood that.
The standout experiences solved real problems—from Kinneta's treadmill passthrough to Xelerate's gamer-designed locomotion. Even the more experimental booths were grounded in genuine human needs rather than technology showcases.
We're finally past the novelty phase. VR and AR are becoming tools for specific jobs—education, fitness, relaxation, skill development, and yes, entertainment. The companies succeeding are the ones asking "what problem does this solve?" rather than "what cool thing can we build?"
The future may not be flying cars and neural implants. It's digital piano lessons, breath-powered meditation, and thoughtfully designed experiences that enhance real life. And honestly? That future sounds pretty great.