IT News on October 5th: According to reports by Korean media ZDNET Korea, Sony has transferred 419 augmented reality XR patents to Meta. The media initially reported 418 patents, but later corrected it to 419. Analysts believe that Sony's move is aimed at reducing its XR hardware business, while Meta has taken this opportunity to further expand its own patent portfolio.
IT noticed that, according to information disclosed by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on October 5th, Sony transferred 43 US XR patents to Meta during the period from June to September of last year. These 43 patents cover virtual reality VR, augmented reality AR, mixed reality MR, and other extended reality fields, as well as core technologies related to head-mounted display systems.
Reports indicate that it is expected that the number of patents for which ownership changes will be completed in the future will further increase. According to the confirmation of transfer certificate agreement signed by both parties in December 2025, a total of 419 patents are involved in the transfer. Of these, 180 are US patents; the remaining 239 are family patents applied for in countries such as Japan, China, South Korea, and Europe.
Sony transferred a large number of XR patents to Meta, which is seen as an attempt to shrink its XR hardware business. Apple's first mixed-reality device, Apple Vision Pro, was released in 2023 and officially launched in 2024. The silicon-based organic light-emitting diode OLEDoS display screens used in this device were previously supplied exclusively by Sony; however, Sony had explicitly rejected Apple's request to "expand OLEDoS production capacity."
OLEDoS is a micro-display technology that involves evaporating OLED on a silicon substrate, and Sony has always been in a leading position in the development of this technology. After Sony rejected Apple's request for increased production, the semiconductor and display industries generally believed at that time that Sony was negative towards expanding its hardware business related to OLEDoS.
