The Khronos Group, an open consortium dedicated to tech standards, announced the OpenXR 1.1 specification.
This release from the Khronos Group evolves the widely adopted OpenXR open API standard for high-performance, cross-platform access to VR, AR, and mixed reality (MR) — collectively known as XR—platforms and devices. OpenXR 1.1 consolidates widely used application programming interface (API) extensions into the core specification to reduce fragmentation and adds new functionality to streamline the development of more powerful and efficient XR applications, the group said.
In particular, OpenXR 1.1 consolidates multiple vendor extensions for key functionality to reduce differences in application code across multiple platforms, while still remaining flexible and extensible to foster innovation in a rapidly growing and evolving market.
The OpenXR Working Group will focus on managing a pipeline of extensions to develop and seek feedback on new functionality, while proactively integrating proven technology into the core specification to provide developers with robust cross-platform XR capabilities.
Today, most major XR platforms have transitioned to using OpenXR to expose current and future device capabilities. Vendors 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. OpenXR is also supported by all the major game and rendering engines, including Autodesk VRED, Blender, Unreal Engine, Godot, StereoKit, Nvidia’s Omniverse and Unity.
The OpenXR 1.1 specification can be found on the Khronos website and on GitHub OpenXR Registry.
“As the first core specification update, OpenXR 1.1 is taking a step toward more streamlined cross-platform XR development. Consolidating multiple OpenXR extensions into the core API enhances programming convenience and consistency and reinforces Khronos’s ongoing commitment to reducing the technical obstacles to creating portable, immersive, cross-platform experiences,” said Alfredo Muniz, chair of the OpenXR Working Group, in a statement. “By simplifying development and fostering innovation, we aim to empower developers to concentrate on creating groundbreaking XR applications without being hindered by compatibility issues.
He added, “OpenXR 1.1 embodies the collective dedication of the OpenXR Working Group and the extended XR community to refine and advance our standard, catering to the dynamic requirements of an evolving ecosystem.”
Khronos Group is a nonprofit consortium with more than 180 companies as members.