It's time again for our monthly roundup of the biggest stories from the XR world.

October has seen some big names battling it out for the limelight, with Meta seemingly coming out on top.

We also look into a subject that has drawn lots of attention this month: XR for industry

Augmented Enterprise Summit held in Houston

On 24, 25 and 26 October, representatives from across the XR industry gathered at the Augmented Enterprise Summit (AES) in Houston, Texas. 

AES is currently the only exhibition to focus entirely on augmenting technologies for the workplace. It claims to be the "longest-running and most comprehensive" event for industrial applications of XR.

This year's agenda included discussions on how businesses are using immersive training to upskill employees, as well as how digital twins are being used to solve real-world challenges. 

The event attracted an impressive lineup of sponsors, including industry innovators like RealWear, Magic Leap and Vive. The summit also featured case studies from the likes of Colgate-Palmolive, Alaska Airlines and Coca-Cola. 

Meta looks to industry at Immerse Global Summit 2023 

Another big-name event for industrial XR, the Immerse Global Summit (IGS) recently took place in Orlando, Florida.

Although not dedicated exclusively to it, IGS shone the spotlight heavily on XR for industry. 

During the summit, Dan Nieves, global executive for engagement at Meta, spoke enthusiastically about industrial XR and Meta's latest solution: Meta Quest for Business. 

Meta, it seems, plans to expand its reach further towards industry customers and develop its product portfolio to better aid professionals. Nieves pointed out the potential of Meta products for tasks such as surgery, physiotherapy and repairs and maintenance. 

The Meta Quest for Business project would, he continued, "bring together a solution around user management, app management [and] device management".

Although the project is not currently in action, Nieves promised that it would be up and running "very soon". 

Meta officially shipping Quest 3 

More from Meta. The first batches of its long-awaited Meta Quest 3 headsets are now officially leaving the factory gates.

As expected, they're being met with enthusiasm from many. The Meta Quest line already has quite the following – and Meta has been hard at work these past months to build hype around the new device. 

It seems the rumours were fairly accurate and the Quest 3's specs match up to expectations. Many of the initial reviews of the device praise the XR2 Gen2 chipset and the overall improved display and lenses.

The device scored a 4.5 out of 5 from PC Magazine and 5 out of 5 from TechRadar, which called it "the only VR headset you need". High praise indeed.

XR ecosystem thriving in healthcare and medical training

As the popularity of XR in industry continues to rise, healthcare departments in particular are reporting extremely positive results from introducing the immersive technology. 

A rapidly growing number of XR headsets are being introduced into hospitals and medical training facilities internationally. And, thanks to their great versatility, the devices are being utilised in several different ways – from assisting with complex surgeries to delivering practical and soft skills training for medical students.

Sweden-based firm, Warpin Reality, has recently spoken about its collaboration with Sweden's Red Cross to deliver more realistic CPR teachings to staff.

Leading XR manufacturers RealWear, meanwhile, has recently struck a deal with the NHS. The project will see RealWear provide hospitals in the north of England with its Navigator 500 headset for surgical training.

Finally, a new survey by HTV Vive found that around 91% of healthcare professionals agree that XR "enhanced educational plans" and "empowered training facilitators to become more effective". 

It's clear to see a strong future for XR technology as a teaching tool – not only in healthcare but in industries across the board. 

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