VR headset players form Global Virtual Reality Association

Six heavy hitters in the virtual reality (VR) headset space have formed an industry alliance to “promote responsible development and adoption of VR globally.”

Acer Starbreeze, Google, HTC Vive, Facebook’s Oculus, Samsung, and Sony Interactive Entertainment jointly announced the establishment of the Global Virtual Reality Association (GVRA), whose stated goal is to promote growth, develop and share best practices for the VR industry and foster dialogue between public and private stakeholders.

The association’s members will develop and share best practices, conduct research, and bring the international VR community together as the technology progresses. The group will also serve as a resource for consumers, policymakers, and industry interested in VR.

The GVRA says that VR has the potential to be “the next great computing platform”, improving sectors ranging from education to healthcare, and contribute significantly to the global economy. Through research, international engagement, and the development of best practices, the founding companies of the GVRA aim to work to unlock and maximize VR’s potential and ensure those gains are shared as broadly around the world as possible.

“As the VR industry is taking off, it is crucial that we increase dialogue among stakeholders to ensure we are building a solid foundation to drive innovation for the years to come,” said Jerry Kao, CEO of Acer Starbreeze.

“The GVRA is a necessary first step toward ensuring great VR experiences for everyone, through collaborating on research and sharing best practices as the field grows and evolves,” said Jon Wiley, Director of Immersive Design at Google.

“It is important that we as an industry are working together to establish best practices and common resources for our industry that will drive toward the $120 billion projection by 2020. The GVRA represents industry leaders and hardware manufacturers across the globe who are creating the best VR experiences available,” said Rikard Steiber, SVP of Vive.

“We’re still very much in the early stages of VR, so it’s critical that industry leaders work together to create and share ideas on how we can safely build this industry,” said Jordan McCollum, General Counsel for Oculus at Facebook.

“The rapid growth of the virtual reality industry presents many challenges as well as opportunities. It is important that we set a clear precedent for best practices and create a solid foundation from which we can build meaningful progress,” said Tae-Yong Kim, VP of the Mobile Communications business at Samsung.