HTC May have made the biggest splash in VR/AR at this year's show, but it was far from the only company diving into the pool. 

HTC

AR and VR seem like they've been on the verge of revolutionizing mainstream tech for years now. While we can't tell just yet if this year's CES will be the tipping point that sends these technologies into everyone's living rooms, there were tons of new releases and debuts that could go a long way toward making augmented and virtual reality "the next big thing." 

Also: CES 2023 tech you can actually buy now

HTC's new VIVE XR Elite is an "all-in-one" XR solution

The modular design is just one of the things about the new headset that sets it apart from current offerings.

HTC

It should shock no one that HTC is leading this piece. The company's long-teased VIVE XR Elite reveal showed off a headset with some intriguing, never-before-seen features. From a modular design that lets you wear it either like eyeglasses or in a traditional VR headset fit, to its use of adjustable lenses that can help actual eyeglass wearers see more clearly, the VIVE XR Elite brought several upgrades to AR and VR that just felt overdue at this point. 

Also: Best of CES 2023: 6 innovations that will shape the future

's Jason Hiner tries out the HTC Vive XR.

June Wan/ZDNet

The headset's$1,100ish price tag also places it well below its obvious competitor, Meta's enterprise-focused Meta Quest Pro. The price drop does come with the loss of eye and face tracking (something HTC plans to add via an accessory), but it also puts it closer to the price range consumers were already willing to accept for past models, including HTC's original VIVE. 

Time will tell if the price point and feature set combine to put HTC back atop the consumer VR space, or if Meta, or even one of the new entrants we'll discuss below will snatch that crown. 

TCL explodes onto the scene

The company's NXTWear S glasses can create a virtual, 130-inch display from just about any video source.

Image: TCL

Far less predictable for this year's show was TCL's contribution. While everyone knew that HTC was planning something big, TCL shocked many by unveiling a trio of devices at the show. 

Also: Meet the companies that will shape the metaverse    

The simplest, and most immediately available is the NXTWear S glasses seen above. They fill an increasingly popular niche of not-really-AR glasses that provide a lightweight, head-mounted virtual display for your smartphone, tablet, or portable gaming console. 

The RayNeo X2 glasses don't have an estimated release window just yet.

Image: TCL

TCL also revealed a pair of true AR and VR devices. The TCL RayNeo X2 glasses promise a full AR experience in a form factor that could, at a quick glance, be mistaken for standard specs. The company touted inclusions like Qualcomm's Snapdragon XR2 (Extended Reality 2) core and Micro LED-based waveguide optics while promising to power practical tasks like translating foreign-language text, literally right before the viewers eyes, or helping them navigate around town.

Also: TCL Stylus 5G review: A solid sub-$300 stylus phone

Lastly, the NXTWear V headset, a full-scale VR solution is a showcase of what TCL has coming down the pipeline. Impressive features like a weight of just 236 grams and 1512ppi of pixel density could disrupt the industry if they make their way from this concept design to a real-world offering.

Razer finally brings its accessories to VR

Razer's first two VR accessories, a head strap and facial interface, installed on a Meta Quest 2

Razer

Despite being one of the largest gaming peripheral makers on the planet, Razer had almost no stake in the AR/VR space going into this year's show. That changed when, among its many new products, Razer revealed plans for a pair of Meta Quest 2 accessories. 

The two new offerings include a head strap that promises to provide superior comfort and better weight distribution than the default elastic strap, and a new facial interface that is touted as being gentler or sensitive skin and better at blocking unwanted light. 

Razer wasn't ready to price or date either offering just yet, but does expect to have them ready within the first few months of 2023. 

The dream of truly discrete AR glasses gets a boost from Lumus

You'd probably have to invade the wearer's personal space to tell these apart from normal eyeglasses.

Image: Lumus

One of the biggest obstacles AR tech needs to overcome in order to be as ubiquitous as existing wearable technologies is its tendency to make the wearer look like a weirdo. At CES 2023, Lumus showed off a new optical engine that shrinks its waveguide technology into a package so tiny it can be hidden at the top corner of an eyeglass lens. 

It might soon be possible to actually wear AR glasses without looking like you're cosplaying as a cyborg.

Image: Lumus

The new Z-Lens system offers 2,048 x 2,048 resolution for full-color AR content, as well as a 50