June 2026 Meta announced the rollout of Meta Lab experiential retail spaces in more than 50 Best Buy stores across the U.S. and Canada. The dedicated in-store VR experience centers allow consumers to try Meta Quest headsets and mixed reality products before purchase, expanding immersive retail engagement.
March 2026 Unity Technologies launched new AI-powered tools for Unity Industry, enabling retailers to accelerate the creation of interactive 3D and VR shopping experiences, digital showrooms, and product configurators.
January 2026 NVIDIA expanded its Omniverse platform with enhanced generative AI and OpenUSD capabilities, enabling retailers and brands to build digital twins of stores and immersive virtual shopping environments for design, planning, and customer engagement.
January 2026 Microsoft introduced new mixed reality and AI capabilities for commercial applications, supporting immersive retail experiences, virtual product demonstrations, and collaborative shopping environments through its cloud and XR ecosystem.