At last year’s CES, Sony An AR/VR headset prototype is mocked up focused on “spatial content creation.” And at the same time, Siemens announced it working with Sony to use the same hardware, including two new controllers it developed, for something it calls the “industrial metaverse.” That’s a lot of buzzwords, but at CES 2025 both Siemens and Sony showed headsets and accompanying software in action that helped clear up a lot of what the companies are trying to do here.

During Sony’s press conference at CES, this announced its XYN brand of software and hardware solutions, with the headset being an important part of the equation. XYN’s “spatial capture solution” uses mirrorless cameras to scan and create photorealistic 3D objects. Using the XYN headset, you can see things in 3D production software for animation, video games and other potential uses.

I had the opportunity to test the XYN headset, as well as see some samples of 3D objects being scanned and manipulated. The demo itself was a little rocky, as many VR demos can be, but I was actually placed inside an animated world that had already been built. From there, I was able to import a geode/crystal object that was scanned using the spatial capture tools. I can move it around in virtual space, grow it to a huge size or reduce it to a small stone.

The headset itself feels well-built and sturdy for a prototype – the display flips out so you can quickly return to the real world, and the headband is comfortable and secure. As usual, though, it’s hard to gauge how it will feel after an hour or two on your noggin. The controller wand felt a little fiddly to me – the somewhat unusual shape makes it well suited for teaching, but figuring out how to “pick up” things took me a bit. I can’t say how steep the learning curve is, but at least everything feels responsive and well done.

While the demo itself isn’t ground-breaking, it’s a good example of showing the entire XYN pipeline, from capturing a 3D object to manipulating and using it to create a virtual environment. Sony says that the XYN headset and its controllers are still in the prototype phase, but it wouldn’t surprise me if we learn more about the public soon.

That’s because Siemens announced this week what appears to be the same headset and controllers now sold outalbeit with a very different focus. Siemens coined the phrase “industrial metaverse” last year, and I had the opportunity to learn more about what that means. It turns out that Sony originally made the headset for internal use for designers and engineers to build things in 3D space. They already use Siemens software, so the companies are starting to work together to optimize both parts of the experience – and now Siemens thinks they’re at a point where they can sell headset and software bundles to business customers.

Siemens highlighted its AR capabilities, showing how you can pin the NX Immersive Designer and use the headset as a virtual workspace – but one that lets you expand and manipulate 3D objects you designed it. You can also jump into VR mode and see objects in full size and move around them using the headset controller. In this demo, I had to fly around several 3D reproductions of some planes, and while they weren’t the most detailed things, the utility was clear.

I also used a second controller made by Sony in the Siemens demo. In addition to the pointer-style device, I have a ring on my finger on my left hand. I use that to move around virtual space; holding and rotating my hand in a certain direction moves me forward and backward or up and down. As always, it took a minute to get my bearings, but I was getting close to the virtual planes and “flying” to check their details soon.

Siemens is definitely more than willing to bring this product to end users: the XR HMD is up for pre-order now for $4,750, and the company says it will start shipping next month. So the hardware is definitely beyond the prototype phase – in Sony’s case, it’s probably more a matter of making sure the entire XYN software and hardware pipeline works together before it’s widely available.

Sony and Siemens certainly face a challenge showing people how these devices can be useful – a four-minute demo just won’t do the trick, and I’m not an engineer or a “creator of content” that can use XYN tools. But what I find most interesting about this strategy is that Sony knows that its headset is not a broad consumer product; instead, they are looking for different areas and industries where it can be useful. At this point, that’s probably a smart strategy, as consumer-grade AR and VR remain niche outside of gaming. But saying that Sony’s headset hardware is up to snuff, it doesn’t surprise me to see other companies adopt it for their specific needs.