Today, we are excited to announce the 0.14 release of xrdesktop, the Open Source project which enables interaction with traditional desktop environments, such as GNOME and KDE, in VR.
xrdesktop makes window managers aware of VR and is able to use VR runtimes to render desktop windows in 3D space, with the ability of manipulating them with VR controllers and generating mouse and keyboard input from VR.
Sponsored by Valve, this latest release brings the largest amount of changes yet, with many new features and architectural improvements.
Most importantly, the most exciting improvement is that xrdesktop is now able to run on XR runtimes providing the OpenXR API, which enables running xrdesktop on a full Open Source stack with Monado.
One day I’ll get a VR headset, but for now, I feel like the cost of a set that isn’t garbage is simply too high, and whenever I see someone playing a game in VR, it looks clunky and cumbersome both inside the game and outside in the real world. This technology has a while to go.
“it looks clunky and cumbersome both inside the game and outside in the real world. This technology has a while to go.”
I was unnecessarily judgemental and cynical too, until I got an Oculus Rift S. That’s all changed now.
I have a Vive Cosmos. There is a lot to appreciate about VR that’s done well. But that doesn’t mean it is free from downsides. One of the most obvious being that it isn’t so quick to disconnect from the world and respond to something in real life – if I have a phone call or a delivery, if I’m playing a non-VR game I can (usually) quickly pause and respond. In VR, there is extra effort to disconnect yourself from the equipment – and that’s assuming that you’ve heard the doorbell when you are wearing headphones.
And the more expansive the experience, it is more cumbersome. Wireless is (comparatively) heavy and has limited battery life, wired means you have to do something with the battery when you are moving around. The “chaperones” to keep you in the play area don’t always entirely help you if your dog walks into the play area.
So the bigger the experience, the more you have to prepare to make it successful. For many people that means the less movement that is required, the more likely you are to be able to accommodate it.
Half Life Alyx is a game changer for this, interactions feel surprisingly convinving. Using a HTC Vive, things like opening a door provide tactile feedback. It’s by far the best experience yet.
Half Life Alyx has some beautiful graphics, and a really nice world feel. But I found the controls *horrible*.
The game changer for me with VR was playing Project Cars 2. The feeling that cars and tracks are objects with a presence rather than projections onto a 2D canvas is quite extraordinary.
I’ve no intereset in VR gaming, but imagine VR CAD, where you can pick up and manipulate virtual objects, , or a VR mind map, where you can explore the interconnections of concepts and data in an immersive way. It’s the application of VR to productivity applications that I find exciting, and which I believe will prove transformative.
As of now, I believe this projects is a big waste of time. VR Tech is far from there yet at the moment.