Developer(s) | Khronos Group |
---|---|
Stable release | 1.1.38 / April 15, 2024 [1] |
Repository | registry |
Operating system | Cross-platform |
Platform | Cross-platform |
Type | Virtual reality and augmented reality API |
License | Apache License 2.0 [2] |
Website | www |
OpenXR is an open-source, royalty-free standard for access to virtual reality and augmented reality platforms and devices. [3] It is developed by a working group managed by the Khronos Group consortium. OpenXR was announced by the Khronos Group on February 27, 2017, during GDC 2017. [4] [5] [6] A provisional version of the standard was released on March 18, 2019, to enable developers and implementers to provide feedback on it. [3] On July 29, 2019, OpenXR 1.0 was released to the public by Khronos Group at SIGGRAPH 2019 [7] and on April 15, 2024, OpenXR 1.1 was released by Khronos. [8]
Reviewers of the 0.90 provisional release considered that the aim of OpenXR was to "Solve AR/VR Fragmentation". [9]
The standard provides an API aimed for application developers targeting virtual reality or augmented reality hardware. This enables developers to build applications that will work across a wide variety of devices. [10]
The fundamental elements of this API are:
XrSpace
: a representation of the 3D space XrInstance
: a representation of the OpenXR runtimeXrSystemId
: a representation of the devices, including the Virtual reality or Augmented reality devices and controllersXrActions
: used to handle user inputsXrSession
: represents the interaction session between the application and the userThe full specification can be found via the OpenXR Registry on GitHub.
The Khronos Group maintains the list of OpenXR-conformant platforms and products. [11]
Currently conformant OpenXR platforms are:
Support for OpenXR application development can be found in the following engines:
After the release of OpenXR 1.0, progress will likely be driven through the development of extensions to the core API. [33] This can be seen in the subsequent release of extensions for support of hand tracking and eye gaze tracking. [34] As implementers and developers get more experience with the extensions, they could get integrated into the core OpenXR API in future releases.
The following companies are listed by Khronos as public supporters of OpenXR: [35]
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The Khronos Virtual Reality Initiative announced in December is making rapid progress in designing an open standard for portable Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality apps and devices. Today, Khronos releases the official name of the standard: OpenXR
With Monday's release of the OpenXR provisional specification, Khronos' open source working group wants to create a world where developers can code their VR/AR experience for a single API, with the confidence that the resulting application will work on any OpenXR-compliant headset.
The OpenXR standard comes in two parts. First, the Application Interface, which application developers and middleware providers write to, and which serves to define and combine common, cross-platform functionality(...)Next, the Device Layer allows VR/AR runtimes to interface with various devices
Zhaoxin (Shanghai Zhaoxin Semiconductor Co., Ltd., also goes by VIA Alliance Semiconductor Co., Ltd.)