Sony Pictures VR and XR Games win big at Australian XR Festival Awards 2023

XR Games and Sony Pictures VR took home Best in Gaming and Best in the World (across all categories) for the VR Shooter Zombieland: Headshot Fever Reloaded at The Australian XR Festival Awards 2023.

The Australian XR Festival 2023 was held at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) in Melbourne from 19 to 21 December 2023. It concluded with the awards ceremony.

The awards showcase and celebrate talent in the creative tech industries including those working in gaming, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), creative AI, animation and digital arts.

The line-up of 25 finalists included industry heavyweights Sony Pictures VR, XR Games, Ubisoft, Atari, Sugar CS, T&DA, Arvore and more. 

The three-day festival included industry events and a public showcase, offering people the opportunity to experience creative technology from around the world in person.

Festival director and founder Matt Kirby said, “It was amazing to see the reactions of people of all ages experiencing VR for the first time and wanting to learn more about how they can get a device in their home or business. It was also fantastic to see gaming fans enjoying battling it out in their favourite games on the massive screen at ACMI.”

The awards showcased both local and international talent through nine different categories. A special industry achievement award honoured Amir Satvat, a leading voice in global gaming from the US, for his work in ensuring the ongoing strength of the industry. City of Melbourne councillor Jamal Hakim presented the award to Satvat, recognising the work that he has done in connecting members of the gaming community to job opportunities.

The Australian XR Festival was founded off the back of the Qld XR Festival, which launched in 2021.

Australian XR Festival category winners are listed below:

Best in Animation 
Chomp 
By Ben Nixon

Best in Augmented Reality Social Media Filters 
Corgi Run 
By Eddy Adams 

Best in Augmented Reality Experiences #1 (Dual Winners)
878AD: Winchester Revealed 
By Sugar Creative, Hampshire Cultural Trust, Ubisoft and Sarner

Best in Augmented Reality Experiences #2 (Dual Winners)
Coopers AR 
By T&DA, Special Australia, KWPX, Alt.VFX 

Best in Creative AI 
The Rose 
By Hilary Campilan, Chrissy Brook & Michaela Betts 

Best in Digital Art 
New Organism 
By Lisa Meinesz 

Best in Gaming 
Zombieland: Headshot Fever Reloaded 
By XR Games & Sony Pictures VR 

Best in Short Films 
Mug 
By Yegar Bugayenko 

Best in Virtual Reality (VR) Passive Immersive Experiences
Dragon Magic & Freedom Giants
By Juliana Loh, Chris Madsen & Mada De Leeuw 

Best in Virtual Reality (VR) Interactive Immersive Experiences
Julaymba 
By Phoria 

Best in Melbourne (across all categories) 
To Stop Time 
By ReVerse Butcher & Kylie Supski 

Best in Australia (across all categories) 
Julaymba 
By Phoria 

Best in the World (across all categories) 
Zombieland: Headshot Fever Reloaded 
By XR Games & Sony Pictures VR

International Special Industry Achievement Award 
For outstanding contribution to the Creative Tech Industry 
Amir Satvat