2.X Suggestion: Use OpenXR instead of OpenVR

[pchaos]

Why?

• Unity Supports OpenXR https://docs.unity3d.com/Packages/com.unity.xr.openxr@0.1/manual/index.html
• StemVR now fully supports OpenXR so a separate build shouldn't be necessary https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/250820/view/3044967019267211914
• This will solve all of the "Add Windows MR" feature requests. (WMR runtime supports the OpenXR api)
• Oculus runtime also fully supports OpenXR. No need for SteamVR if you're on Oculus. https://developer.oculus.com/blog/openxr-for-oculus/?sf236271064=1
• No longer have to worry about handling VR hardware directly. Some OpenXR runtimes even support Leap! Granted, not all runtimes can handle all VR hardware, but that will expand more and more in the future
• More headsets will be supported more easily (maybe even with no effort)
• Easier to use new headsets (even Augmented Reality!) and more platforms in the future (Linux? Maybe even Android??)
  
  You guys probably already have this feature in mind but I didn't see it in Trello or in the forum.
  
  Thanks for the great work!

 

[turtlebackgoofy]

Old thread, but here is another advantage of OpenXR in newest unity engine:
OpenXR allows to set an alpha-channel for the rendering pipeline, so that the HMD driver receives a rendered picture with not only RGB but also Alpha, which says how transparent the pixel is. The HMD driver can then mix in a camera feed in the background, resulting in a perfect passthrough effect. No more greenscreen hacks necessary. Objects can then be set as 100% transparent and will be perfectly removed in the passthrough, anti-aliasing will no longer produce artifacts like with greenscreens and chroma keying.
The rendering layer just has to enable the XR_COMPOSITION_LAYER_BLEND_TEXTURE_SOURCE_ALPHA_BIT bit and the texture needs to have an alpha channel.
Here is such a plugin that does exactly that: https://github.com/Rectus/openxr-steamvr-passthrough It supports chroma keying and alpha blending mode, although right now it can only grab the camera feed from SteamVR.
Also OpenVR will be obsolete in the future and someday Steam will only support OpenXR.