Develop with Godot for Android XR

Godot's support for XR development is built on the OpenXR standard, ensuring that OpenXR features supported for Android XR are natively supported in Godot's XR system.

Follow this guide to learn about:

• Godot Engine support for Android XR
  • Godot XR basics
  • Developing and publishing apps for Android XR
  • Godot OpenXR Vendors Plugin
  • Getting support
• Input and interaction
• Supported extensions

Godot engine support for Android XR

When you build Godot apps for Android XR, you leverage the high-performance, open-source spatial computing capabilities of Godot 4. While Godot provides native support for the core OpenXR specification, the Android XR Vendor Extensions in the Godot OpenXR Vendors Plugin provide the specific implementations required to support Android XR hardware.

Set up your project to get the latest versions of Godot and other tools and configure your development environment for Android XR.

Godot XR basics

If you are new to Godot or XR development, refer to the official Godot XR documentation to understand the core architecture. Here are a few key areas to explore:

• XR Node Structure: Learn how to construct an XR scene using the XROrigin3D node, containing an XRCamera3D (representing the headset) and XRController3D nodes (representing hands or controllers).
• OpenXR Integration: Godot uses an internal OpenXR interface to communicate with Android XR.
• Godot XR Tools: A highly recommended library of components for common XR functions like movement, grabbing, and UI interaction.
• Project Setup: Configuring your .godot project for Android export and spatial rendering.

Develop and publish apps for Android

Godot provides a streamlined workflow for exporting to Android:

• Manage Android permissions in the Export dialog.
• Configure the Android Export Preset (Minimum SDK 34).
• Use the One-Click Deploy feature to test directly on Android XR devices.

Additionally, see the documentation for packaging and distributing apps for Android XR for specific requirements that apply to immersive apps that are distributed on the Google Play Store. Ensure your app also adheres to the quality guidelines for immersive experiences to provide a consistent and comfortable user experience on Android XR.

Godot OpenXR Vendors Plugin

To access Android XR specific features, you must use the Godot OpenXR Vendors plugin.

Android XR Vendor Extension

The Android XR Vendor Extension is the primary interface that adds Android XR support to Godot. It implements the OpenXR extensions required for environmental understanding, perception, and hardware-specific features.

Get support

If you encounter issues, see the support section for Godot on our support page for help.

Input and interaction

Godot uses a flexible Action Map system within OpenXR to handle various input methods. By defining actions (like select or grab) and binding them to the Android XR interaction profiles, you can create immersive experiences that work with both 6DoF motion controllers and hand tracking.

Android XR supports the following specific interaction methods within Godot:

• Interaction Profiles: Configure standard profiles in the OpenXR Action Map to ensure consistent input across different hardware.
• Hand Tracking: Provided through the XR_EXT_hand_tracking extension. Access hand joint data through XRController3D or specialized hand nodes provided by Godot XR Tools.
• Eye Gaze: Retrieve eye gaze data as a standard input pose for UI focus or social presence features using the XR_EXT_eye_gaze_interaction or XR_ANDROID_eye_tracking extensions.
• Face Tracking: Access real-time facial expression data using the XR_ANDROID_face_tracking extension to drive avatar animations.
• Mouse Interaction: Support mouse and trackpad input profiles in XR using the XR_ANDROID_mouse_interaction extension.

Supported extensions

The following OpenXR extensions are supported when developing for Android XR in Godot:

Feature or capability	OpenXR extension string	Provided by
Device Anchor Persistence	XR_ANDROID_device_anchor_persistence	Vendors Plugin
Raycast	XR_ANDROID_raycast	Vendors Plugin
Trackables (Planes/Depth)	XR_ANDROID_trackables	Vendors Plugin
Object Tracking	XR_ANDROID_trackables_object	Vendors Plugin
Scene Meshing	XR_ANDROID_scene_meshing	Vendors Plugin
Face Tracking	XR_ANDROID_face_tracking	Vendors Plugin
Eye Tracking	XR_ANDROID_eye_tracking	Vendors Plugin
Mouse Interaction	XR_ANDROID_mouse_interaction	Vendors Plugin
Passthrough Camera State	XR_ANDROID_passthrough_camera_state	Vendors Plugin
Depth Texture	XR_ANDROID_depth_texture	Vendors Plugin
Light Estimation	XR_ANDROID_light_estimation	Vendors Plugin
Performance Metrics	XR_ANDROID_performance_metrics	Vendors Plugin
Recommended Resolution	XR_ANDROID_recommended_resolution	Vendors Plugin
Unbounded Reference Space	XR_ANDROID_unbounded_reference_space	Vendors Plugin
Hand Interaction	XR_EXT_hand_interaction	Godot Native OpenXR
Hand Tracking	XR_EXT_hand_tracking	Godot Native OpenXR
Hand Tracking Data Source	XR_EXT_hand_tracking_data_source	Godot Native OpenXR
Hand Tracking Mesh	XR_FB_hand_tracking_mesh	Vendors Plugin
Hand Tracking Aim	XR_FB_hand_tracking_aim	Vendors Plugin
Eye Gaze Interaction	XR_EXT_eye_gaze_interaction	Godot Native OpenXR
Palm Pose	XR_EXT_palm_pose	Godot Native OpenXR
DPad Binding	XR_EXT_dpad_binding	Godot Native OpenXR
Binding Modification	XR_KHR_binding_modification	Godot Native OpenXR
Spatial Entity	XR_EXT_spatial_entity	Godot Native OpenXR
Spatial Anchor	XR_EXT_spatial_anchor	Godot Native OpenXR
Spatial Plane Tracking	XR_EXT_spatial_plane_tracking	Godot Native OpenXR
Spatial Marker Tracking	XR_EXT_spatial_marker_tracking	Godot Native OpenXR
Spatial Persistence	XR_EXT_spatial_persistence	Godot Native OpenXR
Spatial Persistence Operations	XR_EXT_spatial_persistence_operations	Godot Native OpenXR
Future	XR_EXT_future	Godot Native OpenXR
User Presence	XR_EXT_user_presence	Godot Native OpenXR
Foveated Rendering	XR_FB_foveation	Godot Native OpenXR
Foveation Configuration	XR_FB_foveation_configuration	Godot Native OpenXR
Foveation (Vulkan)	XR_FB_foveation_vulkan	Godot Native OpenXR
Eye-Tracked Foveated Rendering	XR_META_foveation_eye_tracked	Godot Native OpenXR
Swapchain Update State	XR_FB_swapchain_update_state	Godot Native OpenXR
Frame Synthesis	XR_EXT_frame_synthesis	Godot Native OpenXR
Space Warp	XR_FB_space_warp	Vendors Plugin
Display Refresh Rate	XR_FB_display_refresh_rate	Godot Native OpenXR
Color Space	XR_FB_color_space	Vendors Plugin
Composition Layer Settings	XR_FB_composition_layer_settings	Vendors Plugin
Composition Layer Depth Test	XR_FB_composition_layer_depth_test	Vendors Plugin
Composition Layer Image Layout	XR_FB_composition_layer_image_layout	Vendors Plugin
Composition Layer Cylinder	XR_KHR_composition_layer_cylinder	Godot Native OpenXR
Composition Layer Equirect2	XR_KHR_composition_layer_equirect2	Godot Native OpenXR
Composition Layer Depth	XR_KHR_composition_layer_depth	Godot Native OpenXR
Composition Layer Color Scale Bias	XR_KHR_composition_layer_color_scale_bias	Godot Native OpenXR
Local Floor Reference Space	XR_EXT_local_floor	Godot Native OpenXR
Visibility Mask	XR_KHR_visibility_mask	Godot Native OpenXR
Spatial Containers	XR_EXT_spatial_container, XR_EXT_spatial_container_self_rendering	Godot Native OpenXR & Vendors Plugin

Extensions are provided by one of these sources:

• Godot Native OpenXR: Core XR functionality is maintained directly within the Godot Engine.
• Vendors Plugin: Android XR and vendor-specific spatial capabilities are provided through the Vendors Plugin repository. You must use the latest compatible version.