NWAXR May Meetup Recap:
Who Is XR For?

Aaren Warr: Immersion, Adoption, and Gen Z Realities

Aaren Warr, a recent marketing grad and VR enthusiast, brought grounded insight from the user side of immersive tech. With thousands of hours logged in headsets, he spoke candidly about the gap between XR’s potential and its perception. He highlighted barriers like cost, misunderstanding of use cases, and uneven user engagement. Yet he also outlined where XR is thriving—community-built worlds, generational connection, and open-source adaptability. Aaren emphasized that for Gen Z, online identity isn’t a mask—it’s often the most authentic expression of self. And companies hoping to reach these users must offer empowerment, not restriction.

Andy Fidel: Designing for Presence, Not Just Reach

Speaking from the screen but hitting close to home, Andy Fidel reframed XR as a medium for presence—not just content. Her talk spanned immersive campuses, community-driven creation, and the emotional richness of shared digital spaces. From hot chocolate stands in Rec Room to branded wearable expressions, she demonstrated how XR can become a playground for connection. Her call to action was clear: stop contributing to the noise, and start building spaces where people belong. Andy reminded us that spatial media isn’t about simulation—it’s about serendipity, shared gaze, and designing with emotion in mind.

So, Who Is XR For?

The answer? It’s not a demographic—it’s a mindset. Aaren showed us that XR excites when users are empowered to shape it. Andy reminded us that XR endures when it centers humans, not just headsets. XR is for developers who open their platforms, for creators who host meaningful events, and for community members who want more than passive feeds. Whether you show up in a headset, on a browser, or through your avatar’s emote—if you're looking to build, connect, or belong, XR is for you.

Northwest Arkansas Immersive Technology Meetup Recap:
XR Industry Insights with Jeremy Dalton and Cause + Christi

Reality Check with Jeremy Dalton

Jeremy Dalton, the acclaimed author of “Reality Check,” shared his perspective on the current state of XR technology and its trajectory. Drawing on years of consulting experience, he highlighted cost barriers, content bottlenecks, and UX pain points. Despite the post-metaverse hype hangover, he pointed to rising corporate interest and AI integrations as signs we’ve reached the “slope of enlightenment.”

• Cost: High-end hardware like Apple Vision Pro remains inaccessible
• Education: Most orgs still misunderstand the business case
• Content: Demand for high-quality immersive content outpaces capacity
• Experience: User friction—from setup to navigation—remains a hurdle

🎥 View Jeremy’s slide deck

Cause + Christi: Creative Applications in WebXR

Austin “Cause” Caine and Christi Fenison from Cause + Christi showcased their approach to WebXR as a viable, accessible alternative to native apps. Their immersive escape room demo proved WebXR can be lean, performant, and imaginative. With a focus on storytelling, scale planning, and creative optimization, they emphasized designing for curiosity and presence—not replication of the real world.

🔗 Try Ship Happens on Viveverse

XR ROI Calculator: AI-Powered Business Case Development

I wrapped the evening with a live demo of our XR ROI calculator—a tool built to help decision-makers quantify the benefits of immersive technology, even without a tech background.

• Estimate savings in training, ops, and support
• Quantify productivity and error reduction
• Support long-term XR investment decisions with data

Demo ROI Calculator