For years, Mobile World Congress in Barcelona represented a chance for companies with interests in phones and other mobile devices to present their plans for VR and AR. This year, though, the “global concern regarding the coronavirus outbreak” led organizers to cancel the event.
In recent days a steady stream of companies announced their plans to retreat from the event and our own reporting staff decided it wasn’t a good idea to travel there ahead of the formal cancellation of the event by the GSMA today. The conference would have run from February 24 to 27 in Barcelona, Spain.
“With due regard to the safe and healthy environment in Barcelona and the host country today, the GSMA has cancelled MWC Barcelona 2020 because the global concern regarding the coronavirus outbreak, travel concern and other circumstances, make it impossible for the GSMA to hold the event,” reads a statement by the organization. “Our sympathies at this time are with those affected in China, and all around the world.”
With MWC not happening the next major event related to VR and AR is the Game Developers Conference in March. The event in San Francisco from March 16 to 20 represents the next major opportunity for announcements to be made by platform companies like Facebook, Valve, Microsoft, Sony, Epic and Unity as well as the developers they partner with. GDC is also an opportunity for game developers to learn from and share with others in the industry.
We’re planning to be at GDC all week and if you have anything VR or AR related to showcase at the event, please email tips@uploadvr.com.
