PPXR is a 48-hour AR/VR hackathon designed to accelerate the XR ecosystem by welcoming artists, designers, and developers, along with XR-curious newcomers. Participants will explore emerging workflows across hardware, software, and interaction design, build portfolio-ready prototypes, and connect with mentors and peers. The event is positioned as a space where people can share and cultivate their own visions for the future of XR.

Official Registration: https://form.typeform.com/to/GCRQJVzr

Contact: pacificportalxr@gmail.com

We will send you a Discord invite and official confirmation after finishing registration!

Objectives

Onboard beginners into practical XR development through starter kits, tutorials, and mentor support.
Provide a rapid, supportive environment for experienced builders to test ideas, sharpen skills, and ship prototypes.
Foster cross-disciplinary collaboration and long-term community ties through structured teaming and a public showcase.

Requirements

Space and Presence

Keywords: Immersive Presence, Virtual Embodiment, Human-Object Interaction, Immersive Travel

Space and Presence explores how XR can reshape the feeling of “being there” through embodied interaction, spatial storytelling, and meaningful connections between people and objects. Participants are invited to design experiences that deepen immersive presence, strengthen virtual embodiment, and make human-object interaction feel intuitive and alive. Projects may reimagine immersive travel by transporting users into new environments or by transforming everyday spaces into portals that carry memory, atmosphere, and shared moments. The goal is to build an experience where presence is not just visual fidelity, but something felt through interaction, proximity, agency, and spatial rhythm.

Deliverables:

500-word long description about the project and how it relates to the keywords
15–25 working prototypes(APK files in git)
Recorded demos(mp4 files)
Public showcase, and a post-event resource pack

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

3 non-cash prizes

1st Place Overall

1 winner

AWE Conference tickets for all team members.

Project featured in a Museum and College exhibition.

Dedicated social media showcase highlighting the team and project.

Official 1st Place Certificate for all team members.

Portfolio review session with industry leaders.

2nd Place Overall

1 winner

Project featured in a College exhibition.

Featured official gifts.

Dedicated social media showcase highlighting the team and project.

Official 2nd Place Certificate for all team members.

Portfolio review session with industry leaders.

Honorable Mention

3 winners

Official Honorable Mention Certificate for all team members.

Featured official gifts.

Dedicated social media showcase highlighting the team and project.

Portfolio review session with industry leaders.

More to be revealed...

Judges

Omari (Nico) Hitson
VP Lead Product Designer: Emerging Technologies @JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Ophelia Chen
Senior VR Product Designer @Dreamscape Learn

Minyoung Joo
VR Designer & Researcher @AAPI Data

Maxim Safioulline
Instructor, Professor @Santa Monica College, ArtCenter College of Design

Judging Criteria

Innovation (25%)
originality, creative use of XR affordances
Interaction & UX (25%)
clarity, comfort, accessibility, presence
Technical Quality (25%)
performance, stability, feasibility
Impact & Story (15%)
problem relevance, narrative/design rationale
Presentation (10%)
demo clarity, documentation, and team attribution