OpenXR

OpenXR is an open, royalty-free standard for building and delivering immersive computing experiences across virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR). Developed by the Khronos Group, it aims to reduce fragmentation by providing a single API surface that can be implemented by multiple runtimes and consumed by applications across devices and platforms.

The specification defines a platform-agnostic API with core concepts such as instances, systems, sessions, spaces, and views. It also includes an input framework based on actions and action sets, enabling applications to define interactions that map to a variety of controllers and sensors. The architecture uses a loader and runtime model, where an OpenXR loader discovers and dispatches calls to the installed runtime.

OpenXR is designed to be extensible. The core API is complemented by optional extensions that expose vendor-specific features or device capabilities while preserving compatibility for conforming runtimes. This allows hardware vendors to add capabilities without breaking existing applications.

The standard is graphics-api agnostic; the runtime handles the underlying graphics backend. OpenXR supports multiple graphics backends and is designed to work with runtimes on a range of platforms, including Windows, Linux, and Android, enabling cross-platform development and deployment.

Adoption and governance: OpenXR has been widely adopted by XR hardware manufacturers, platform vendors, and developers, and has become a de facto standard in many sectors of the industry. The Khronos Group maintains the specification, overseeing revisions and extensions as new hardware capabilities emerge.