The article argues that 2026 is the first year of optical waveguide mass production, with multiple production capacities of one million units coming online, but capacity expansion does not equal stable mass production. The core barrier has shifted from whether it can be done to whether it can be done consistently at high yield. The three major bottlenecks in materials, processes and inspection are interlinked, requiring end-to-end system capabilities.
An OFweek article analyzes how silicon carbide optical waveguides are moving from an alternative AR performance material to a core element of mass production, with materials, chips and modules all scaling up simultaneously. It cites actions including Aifalong's oversubscribed Series B round of more than 100 million yuan to build an 8-inch silicon carbide metasurface optical waveguide chip production line, Guangna Siwei's financing of nearly 200 million yuan, and Goertek Optics' F50Se module achieving a 50-degree field of view. The author believes cost, processing yield and supply chain maturity remain the three hurdles before large-scale deployment, with the current average price of a SiC waveguide chip at 250-350 US dollars.
At Connect 2026, Meta announced that Meta Ray-Ban Display will go on sale outside the US, with online ordering and no in-store fitting required, plus new features such as third-party app discovery and navigation improvements.
Why we recommend it: The original paper shows display AI glasses moving from limited in-store fitting to online and international sales, a signal of channel expansion
Sep 24Thu
Thursday
OFweek Optics Network · NewsOptics industryOptics and AIPicksAI score6161
At the 27th CIOE and SIVA 2026, the keywords for VR/AR optics centered on mass production, thin-and-light design, and color displays for AR glasses. The article summarizes show trends, noting that 4-inch, 6-inch and other semiconductor wafers were everywhere, serving as a way to demonstrate mass-production capability.
Why we recommend it: The original article summarizes the directions of multiple AR optics makers at the show, making it easy to compare the current state of the AR optics supply chain
Sep 18Fri
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OFweek Optics Network · NewsOptics industryOptics and AIPicksAI score6161
An article by VR Tuoluo notes that metalenses had a noticeably stronger presence at CIOE 2026, with NIL Technology showcasing metaEye for AR/VR eye tracking. The article maps out the application paths for metalenses in eye tracking, ToF and AI glasses.
Why we recommend it: The source text lists specific applications of metalenses in XR, helping to gauge the progress of metasurfaces from the lab to products
Sep 16Wed
Wednesday
OFweek Optics Network · NewsOptics industryOptics and AIAI score5454
Hongshi Intelligence has formed a strategic partnership with Cao Liangcai's team in Tsinghua University's Department of Precision Instruments to tackle the narrowing of light emission angles and optical energy losses in MicroLED microdisplay light sources, supporting lightweight optical engines for AI glasses.
China's planned diffractive optical waveguide capacity is nearly 7 million units per year, while Runto data show that China sold 408,000 AR glasses in the first half of 2026, up 109.4% year on year, indicating a clear mismatch between capacity and demand.
In the first half of 2026, China's smart glasses sold 909,000 units across all channels, up 85.5% year over year, with sales revenue of RMB 1.88 billion. AR glasses are splitting into lightweight AI HUD models and large-screen cinema/spatial computing models.
VRAR Planet counted 11 global VR/AR funding deals worth about $142 million in August 2026. Three domestic deals concentrated on optical waveguides, while overseas deals leaned toward the application layer.
INMO Technology has completed a C3 funding round led by Sichuan Zhenxing Sci-Tech Innovation Fund; the article reviews the loss-making listings of leading AR glasses companies.
RUNTO data show that China's online smart glasses sales fell 15% year on year in July, the first decline, while AR glasses bucked the trend with a 70% surge.
The article argues that optical technology is the core breakthrough for the XR industry, with wafer-level optics reaching million-unit volumes and major players entering the market simultaneously.