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OpenXR Prerequisites

Learn how to install the OpenXR runtime and set up your projects for OpenXR.

Choose your operating system:

Windows

macOS

Linux

To be able to develop with OpenXR on your device in Unreal Engine (UE), you must install the OpenXR runtime for your platform. The following sections cover how to install the correct OpenXR runtime and which plugins are needed for each platform.

Currently, some of the platform-specific plugins in UE are incompatible with the OpenXR plugin. Make sure you disable the Oculus and Windows Mixed Reality plugins when using the OpenXR plugin in your Unreal project. In a future release, we plan to simplify the platform plugins and combine the Oculus OpenXR and Oculus plugins.

Windows Mixed Reality

Complete the following items to begin using your Windows Mixed Reality devices with OpenXR in the Unreal Editor:

  • Complete the steps in Microsoft's Getting Started with OpenXR documentation to install the OpenXR runtime for Windows Mixed Reality on your computer.

  • Disable the Windows Mixed Reality plugin in your Unreal project.

  • Enable the OpenXR plugin in your Unreal project.

    HoloLens

    Complete the following items to begin using your HoloLens devices with OpenXR in the Unreal Editor:

  • Complete the steps in HoloLens Prerequisites to set up your computer and device.

  • Disable the Windows Mixed Reality plugin in your Unreal project.

  • Enable the OpenXR plugin in your Unreal project.

  • Enable the HoloLens plugin in your Unreal project.

  • Install the latest OpenXR runtime on your HoloLens. Follow the instructions in Microsoft's documentation to update the OpenXR runtime on your device.

HoloLens Remoting is currently only supported in the Windows Mixed Reality plugin. Since the Windows Mixed Reality plugin must be disabled for OpenXR projects, you will only be able to test OpenXR projects targeting the HoloLens by packaging and installing the project onto the device.

Oculus

Complete the following items to begin using your Oculus devices with OpenXR in the Unreal Editor:

  • Complete the steps in Oculus Prerequisites to set up your computer and device.

  • Disable the Oculus plugin in your Unreal project.

  • Enable the OpenXR plugin in your Unreal project.

  • Enroll in the Public Test Channel in the Oculus app to install the OpenXR runtime for Oculus on your computer.

If there are other OpenXR runtimes on your computer, you will need to set an environmental variable so that Unreal Engine can find the OpenXR runtime for Oculus. To use another device that does not require the OpenXR runtime for Oculus, you will need to remove the environment variable. The instructions below show how to set the necessary environment variable on Windows computers.

  1. Open the System Properties window.

  2. In the Advanced tab, click the Environment Variables… button to open the Environment Variables window. system properties advanced tab

  3. In the Environment Variables window, below the System variables section select New… to open the New System Variable window. environment variables system section

  4. In the New System Variable window, set:

    1. Variable name to XR_RUNTIME_JSON .

    2. Variable value to C:\Program Files\Oculus\Support\oculus-runtime\oculus_openxr_64.json . New system variable

  5. Click OK in the New System Variable window to create the new system variable.

  6. Verify the new environment variable was created properly by finding it in the System variables list. environment variables system section with new system variable added

SteamVR

Complete the following items to begin using your SteamVR devices with OpenXR in the Unreal Editor:

  • Complete the steps in SteamVR Prerequisites to set up your computer and device.

  • Enable the OpenXR plugin in your Unreal project.

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