Google and Pico’s Adoption Strengthens OpenXR as the Industry Standard, Despite One Major Exception

OpenXR is emerging as a vital element in the world of XR technology, bridging the gap between software and hardware compatibility. It’s a relief to see giants like Google stepping up to embrace this open standard from the outset, joining tech titans like Meta and Microsoft. With companies such as ByteDance also on board, OpenXR isn’t just an open standard anymore; it’s becoming the go-to industry standard. However, despite this widespread acceptance, there’s still one notable player sitting on the sidelines.

Back in 2017, OpenXR was introduced to simplify the developer’s task of creating XR applications capable of running smoothly across various headsets with minimal adjustments. While leaders in the XR domain—names like Meta, Microsoft, Valve, and HTC—are all on board with OpenXR, there’s a conspicuous absence from the lineup: Apple.

Apple, as many are aware, often chooses its own path, sometimes clinging to its proprietary formats and occasionally coming around to embrace the industry’s prevailing standards. Their Vision Pro headset is a perfect example of Apple’s standalone approach. Not only does it lack OpenXR support, but it also doesn’t include built-in capabilities for motion-tracked controllers, which are essential for most XR experiences. If OpenXR were part of Vision Pro’s ecosystem, developers would have a considerably easier time adapting their XR applications to the headset. But still, the absence of controller support remains a significant challenge.

Apple continues to take its unique stance.

On the flip side, Google didn’t hesitate to announce that its newly revealed Android XR platform would support OpenXR from the start. This move simplifies the process for developers looking to transition their XR applications to various headsets, including popular ones like Quest.

According to Google, Android XR has already aligned with OpenXR 1.1, and they’ve also introduced their own ‘vendor extensions’. These extensions are essentially enhancements that boost OpenXR’s functionality on particular devices. Interestingly, such additions often wind up being incorporated into future iterations of OpenXR.

In recent developments, Pico—ByteDance’s XR arm—revealed that its platform now aligns with the OpenXR 1.1 standard on the Pico 4 Ultra, with plans to extend support to the Pico 4 and Neo 3 by mid-2025.

Pico has their sights set on advancing OpenXR even further. They’ve proposed a framework designed to streamline the way XR apps can run simultaneously, allowing users to operate several XR applications within a shared environment. Pico is championing this strategy to the OpenXR working group—the industry body that steers the standard’s progress.

With support now coming from Google and Pico, OpenXR has undeniably cemented its status as the industry benchmark, though Apple adopting it might be a long shot.