Extended reality (XR) displays are rapidly diversifying across a spectrum defined by trade-offs among form factor, visual fidelity, and immersion. At one end, emerging AI glasses emphasize lightweight, socially acceptable designs with simple overlays integrated with contextual, AI-driven services. Optical see-through AR glasses extend this capability with richer visual augmentation while preserving a direct view of the real world. Video see-through (pass-through) head-mounted displays provide high-quality, camera-mediated views that enable precise spatial registration and seamless integration of virtual content. At the far end, fully immersive VR systems offer wide fields of view and complete environmental control for highly interactive experiences, albeit with larger form factors and reduced awareness of the physical surroundings.
Beyond head-worn devices, projection mapping and spatial displays extend XR into shared physical environments, transforming everyday surfaces and spaces into dynamic visual interfaces. This special issue focuses on the visual computing challenges underlying next-generation XR displays, including rendering, visualization, interaction, and perception-driven design. Recent advances in AI-driven interfaces and consumer XR devices have increased the need for display-aware techniques that bridge hardware constraints and user experience.
Across this spectrum, key research challenges include balancing form factor and visual fidelity, addressing perceptual issues such as vergence-accommodation conflict and visual comfort, integrating AI-driven capabilities into visual pipelines, and supporting shared, multi-user, and spatially situated experiences. We particularly encourage submissions that present clear contributions to computer graphics, visualization, or interactive systems in XR contexts.
Submissions must include a clear visual computing contribution. Purely hardware or optics-only papers are out of scope unless they are clearly connected to rendering, visualization, perception, or interaction. Submissions focusing on general-purpose AI, large language models, or wearable AI systems without clear relevance to display technologies or visual experiences are also out of scope. When AI is used, it should be meaningfully integrated into visual computing, perception, or interaction within XR display systems.
Representative topics include, but are not limited to (display technology topics should be accompanied by clear visual computing contributions):
In addition to research papers, IEEE CG&A invites Perspective and Overview Paper (POP) submissions related to this theme. POP papers may include surveys, tutorials, state-of-the-art reports, or forward-looking perspectives that synthesize knowledge or explore emerging aspects of the CFP theme. For details, visit CG&A Author Information Page, but please submit your paper to this special issue rather than the regular POP queue.
For author information and guidelines on submission criteria, visit the Author’s Information Page. Please submit papers through the IEEE Author Portal and be sure to select the special issue or special section name. Manuscripts should not be published or currently submitted for publication elsewhere. Please submit only full papers intended for review, not abstracts.
In addition to submitting your paper to IEEE CG&A you are also encouraged to upload the data related to your paper to IEEE DataPort. IEEE DataPort is IEEE's data platform that supports the storage and publishing of datasets while also providing access to thousands of research datasets. Uploading your dataset to IEEE DataPort will strengthen your paper and will support research reproducibility. Your paper and the dataset can be linked, providing a good opportunity for you to increase the number of citations you receive. Data can be uploaded to IEEE DataPort prior to submitting your paper or concurrent with the paper submission. Thank you!
