G-Smash Showcases 15 VR Developers at 68,000-Visitor Bitsummit to Expand Japan's XR Market
Updated
Updated · UploadVR · Jun 16
G-Smash Showcases 15 VR Developers at 68,000-Visitor Bitsummit to Expand Japan's XR Market
1 articles · Updated · UploadVR · Jun 16
Summary
G-Smash used the biggest booth at Kyoto's Bitsummit to present 15 VR developers in its XR Yokocho showcase, aiming to bring new players into Japan's XR market.
Shun Harashima said the push responds to a fragile global VR sector, where weak headset and game sales, canceled projects and studio closures have made developers wary of high-risk releases.
Meta, Pico and Sony jointly sponsored the booth for the first time, while G-Smash also backed small, fast-turnaround titles such as Project Punch and Sausage Batting to lower creative and financial risk.
About 90% of booth visitors had never played VR before, Harashima said, underscoring the group's focus on hands-on demos, investor outreach and recurring events to widen adoption.
Japan's VR scene has stayed relatively resilient because theme parks, exhibitions and corporate projects provide alternative revenue, giving initiatives like XR Yokocho a base to push the medium back toward mainstream attention.
As global VR giants falter, is Japan's community-led approach the secret blueprint for the industry's future?
With Sony's VR hardware struggling, can pop-up events and arcades truly bring virtual reality to the mainstream?
Beyond gaming, is VR's true killer app the 'digital medicine' needed to solve Japan's aging population crisis?
BitSummit 2026: Record-Breaking XR Showcase with 500 Companies and G-Smash’s Strategic Expansion
Overview
BitSummit PUNCH 2026, held at Kyoto International Exhibition Hall Miyako Messe, was a record-breaking event that drew nearly 500 companies from around the world and solidified its reputation as a vital platform for independent game developers. This year marked a new milestone with a strong emphasis on Extended Reality (XR) technologies. A central attraction was XR Yokocho, an XR-exclusive booth produced by G-SMASH Inc., which was presented at its largest scale for the second consecutive year. The growing prominence of XR at BitSummit highlights the event’s role in driving innovation and global collaboration in the indie game and XR industries.