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EXCLUSIVE: OpenXR releases update to reduce fragmentation and improve performance

The Immersive Wire - 15 April 2024 (Monday Briefing)

Author

Tom Ffiske
April 15, 2024

Executive summary

Welcome to your weekly briefing on the metaverse and spatial computing. Here are your snippets to sound smarter in meetings this week:

  • EXCLUSIVE: The Khronos Group, a consortium creating interoperability standards, announced the availability of the OpenXR 1.1 specification. (Analysis below. Details to appear on the Khronos website later today).

  • Conversation-starter: NASA described its application of VR in a blog post.

  • Candidates board: Professionals are looking for work.

  • Other stories: Stereopsia (an immersive tech event) has opened its call for speakers, and Glue (a virtual collaboration platform) is no more (additional stories below).

Ireland is very green, rainy, and cheerful. We also saved a lamb who had an injoured foot; we called it Lamborghini.

Tom Ffiske, Editor of the Immersive Wire

Analysis

The Khronos Group, a consortium creating interoperability standards, announced the availability of the OpenXR 1.1 specification. (Analysis below. Details to appear on the Khronos website later today).

  • Why does this matter? Think of it as bringing in useful API extensions to improve interoperability capabilities. OpenXR 1.1 consolidates widely used API extensions into the core specification, to reduce fragmentation and add new functionality. In theory, this would streamline the development of more powerful and efficient XR applications.

  • What is the significance of this? It impacts a lot of companies you know. Players with conformant OpenXR implementations include Acer, ByteDance, Canon, HTC, Magic Leap, Meta, Microsoft, Sony, XREAL, Qualcomm, Valve, Varjo, and Collabora’s Monado open source runtime. 

  • What do devs think? A programmer at Valve, Nathan Nuber, said: “OpenXR 1.1 brings clarity and ease of use to the widespread OpenXR standard. With the most commonly used extensions now included in the core, it will be easier for developers to have confidence in relying on the features they need. These updates also promote simplicity and uniformity as new features are added down the line; something we’re super into given our goal of an ecosystem that can apply a developer’s work across hardware and runtimes.”

  • What do I think? In my view, it’s a net benefit. Devs like using it, and I get the gist that the performance gains are good. I am curious to see if the new update further lowers fragmentation.

Other notable stories

Got any stories? Let me know at tom (at) immersivewire (dot) com.

  • Basemark, which uses AI to improve driver safety, raised €22m.

  • The BFI Network Short Film Fund is open and accepting XR applications up to £25k.

  • Glue, a virtual collaboration platform, is no more.

  • Newton's Room, an educational game built from the ground up for Mixed Reality, is out now.

  • Osso VR announced the launch of Osso Health, a medical training app on Apple Vision Pro

  • Stereopsia, an immersive tech event, has opened its call for speakers.

  • Vrgineers was selected by Lockheed Martin to participate in a pilot training industrial cooperation project for the F-35.

  • Vuzix Shield is now available to the general public. 

  • XR Creator Con is hosting a large European hackathon in late June.

Note: The Immersive Wire is run by Tom Ffiske, who also works within Accenture’s metaverse group. The contents of the newsletter should not be regarded as Accenture’s views.