What happens when you immerse yourself in a world where you can embody a bat, confront emotionally charged narratives about reproductive rights, or even leap into different bodies? Jenna and Grishma took us on a vivid journey through their experiences at SXSW 2025, painting a picture of a festival brimming with groundbreaking XR and VR innovations.

Their exploration delved deep into the realm of extended reality, from a captivating Live Action Role-Playing (LAR) experience that allowed participants to embody a bat, to intensely moving VR films tackling critical social issues like reproductive rights. Music also found its immersive home in "Symphony," a VR experience that transformed sound into a tangible, visual landscape. Beyond the expected, they encountered truly unique virtual realities, including the poetic beauty of mushroom spore poetry and the disorienting yet fascinating concept of "Face Jumping," where one could inhabit diverse digital bodies.

The session also illuminated the cutting edge of web XR music videos and the impressive Metallica concert film designed for Vision Pro, showcasing how technology is pushing the boundaries of artistic expression. But SXSW wasn't just about the digital; Jenna and Grishma also shared insights from the expansive SXSW Expo, the thought-provoking talks by luminaries like Hideo Kojima and John Maeda, a glimpse into the future with Lightfield Labs' holographic technology, and even the unexpected delight of a fringe interpretive dance performance. Their session offered a comprehensive look at the diverse, innovative, and often surprising tapestry of experiences that define SXSW.