Is China quietly shaping the future of smart glasses & AI glasses?

In this episode of Metavertising, Ely Santos sits down with Sylvan Shen, XR Technical Producer at Emmy-winning immersive studio No Ghost, China Reporter at ImmersiveWire, and builder of demos for Meta Quest, Snap Spectacles, Meta Ray-Ban glasses, and other smart glasses platforms.

Together, they unpack one of the most important but under-discussed areas of the XR industry: China’s smart glasses ecosystem.

While most conversations around XR focus on Meta, Apple, or Snap, China is moving incredibly fast across hardware, AI, manufacturing, and real-world use cases. Sylvan breaks down why Chinese smart glasses companies may offer a glimpse into where wearable computing is heading next.

In this episode, we cover:

• The 4 categories of smart glasses: audio-first glasses, portable display glasses, AI camera glasses, and full AI + AR glasses.
• Why the simplest smart glasses are winning today, even though the dream is still full AR.
• How China’s hardware manufacturing ecosystem gives local companies a major speed advantage.
• Why Shenzhen and Guangdong are sometimes called the “hardware Silicon Valley."
• The privacy concerns around smart glasses — and why they become even more sensitive when AI is involved.
• How Chinese brands are approaching privacy, compliance, GDPR, and international certifications.
• Why companies like XREAL, RayNeo, Rokid, Alibaba, Xiaomi, Huawei, and Even Realities are taking very different strategies.
• Why real-time translation, payments, productivity, gaming, and smart home control are major use cases in China.
• The difference between Western and Chinese consumer behavior when it comes to smart glasses.
• Why developer communities may be the missing piece for Chinese smart glasses to go global.
• How open-source AI models and user choice could influence the future of AI-powered wearables.

If you’re a developer, founder, marketer, investor, or XR enthusiast trying to understand the next wave of wearable computing, this episode is a must-listen.

Guest: Sylvan Shen - XR Technical Producer, China Reporter at ImmersiveWire
Host: Ely Santos - Metavertising Podcast

Follow Sylvan Shen on LinkedIn.
Follow Ely Santos on LinkedIn.

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#Metavertising #SmartGlasses #AIGlasses #AR #XR #Wearables #SpatialComputing #ChinaTech #MetaRayBan #SnapSpectacles

Are AI glasses finally having their iPhone moment?

In this episode of Metavertising, Ely Santos sits down with Oscar Falmer, Wearables Developer Advocate at Meta, to unpack why Meta AI glasses are gaining real consumer traction after years of AR hype, headset experiments, and false starts.

Oscar has spent nearly a decade in XR, previously working in Developer Relations at Apple and Snap, helping developers build AR experiences for mobile, social platforms, and wearable devices. Now at Meta, he supports developers creating content for Meta AI glasses.

Together, we explore why the winning form factor may not be full AR glasses yet, but lightweight AI glasses that people actually want to wear every day.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why mobile AR and social AR were important stepping stones, but never the final form.

• Why AI glasses are working now: lightweight design, long battery life, camera, audio, and multimodal AI.

• The most valuable use cases today, from hands-free memories to real-time contextual assistance.

• How developers can build for Meta Ray-Ban glasses using camera, microphone, speakers, and phone-based processing.

• Why developers should not ignore the massive non-display smart glasses audience.

• Where the money is today: client work, museums, venues, enterprise, factory workers, and AI-powered tour guides.

• What developers need to know about privacy, LEDs, recording safeguards, and responsible use.

• Oscar’s smart glasses industry tracker, and what it reveals about hardware, optics, controllers, SDKs, and China’s fast-moving ecosystem.

• Why China may offer a glimpse into where smart glasses and wearables are heading next.

If you’re a developer, founder, marketer, museum innovator, or brand strategist trying to understand the next computing platform, this episode is a practical look at what is real, what is coming, and where the opportunity may be.

Guest: Oscar Falmer — Wearables Developer Advocate at Meta
Host: Ely Santos — Metavertising Podcast

• Follow Oscar Falmer on LinkedIn and X/Twitter.
• Follow Ely Santos on LinkedIn.

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#Metavertising #SmartGlasses #MetaAI #RayBanMeta #AR #XR #Wearables #SpatialComputing #AIGlasses #DeveloperTools

Is the next $500M entertainment franchise hiding inside a Roblox game your kids are already playing? In this Metavertising episode, Ely Santos sits down with James Purell — founder of Building Blocks, Roblox verified creator, and the mind behind one of the largest Roblox news accounts @RBXevents_ — to unpack how games like Steal a Brain Rot, Grow a Garden and Dress to Impress are quietly becoming the new Marvel-style IP factories.

They dive deep into what brands get wrong on Roblox, how UGC worlds beat traditional ad formats, and why the smartest move for IP owners might be to partner with fan-made games instead of shutting them down.

🔊 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why James believes the next Marvel-level IP will emerge from UGC gaming—and why Roblox outpaces Minecraft and Fortnite for this.

• The Roblox numbers that matter: 112M+ DAU, record-shattering CCU peaks, and more players than all consoles combined.

• How a Roblox game can evolve into animated YouTube series, toys, plushies and eventually Netflix/Hulu deals—without starting with a massive budget.

• The “MVP startup way” to build IP: test fast with simple mechanics, AI-generated assets, then polish once the core loop and audience are proven.

• Why most brand-built Roblox worlds flop—and how to win instead by integrating into existing hits (think: Bridge Battles x Coca-Cola-style collabs).

• The simple core loop rule: how games like Plants vs Brain Rot remix proven mechanics instead of reinventing the wheel.

• Metrics that actually matter for brands: session time, engagement and brand interaction minutes, not just vanity visits or CCU spikes.

• How Adidas, Minions and Blue Lock became case studies in doing it right—by collaborating with creators, embracing culture, and even legitimizing “unofficial” fan games.

• Why Roblox is one of the only platforms where your brand can both advertise AND generate direct revenue from the experience itself.

Whether you’re a CMO thinking about Gen Alpha, a game studio eyeing transmedia IP, or a brand wondering if Roblox is “worth it,” this episode gives you a brutally honest, battle-tested playbook.

🔗 Connect with JamesLinkedIn: James PurellX / Twitter (Roblox news & events): @RBXevents_

🔗 Connect with ElyLinkedIn: Ely Santos

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Hit Follow, leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review, and share this episode with someone on your team who still thinks Roblox is “just a kids’ game.”

#Metavertising #Roblox #UGCgaming #GenAlpha #BrandIP #MetaverseMarketing