The main options to handle input in an XRAn umbrella term encompassing Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) applications. Devices supporting these forms of interactive applications can be referred to as XR devices. More info
See in Glossary game or application include:
In some cases, you might use more than one of these options at the same time. For example, you could use the XR Interaction Toolkit to allow the user to pick up objects in the environment, use the Input System to bind a pause function to a controller button, and use the XR.Node API to read the hardware state so that you can animate the controller GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary.
Note: The OpenXR plug-inA set of code created outside of Unity that creates functionality in Unity. There are two kinds of plug-ins you can use in Unity: Managed plug-ins (managed .NET assemblies created with tools like Visual Studio) and Native plug-ins (platform-specific native code libraries). More info
See in Glossary, which supports many different XR devices and controllers, provides its own, additional way to access XR input and tracking data. You can still use the XR Interaction Toolkit, the Input System, or the XR.InputDevice and XR.Node APIs. (The legacy Input Manager is not supported when you use the OpenXR plugin.) Refer to Input in Unity OpenXR for more information.
The XR Interaction Toolkit builds on the Input System and the base UnityEngine.XR API to support XR input and interaction. It provides a near ready-to-use set of components for handling XR input and defining interactions between the user and the environment and the sceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary UI(User Interface) Allows a user to interact with your application. Unity currently supports three UI systems. More info
See in Glossary.
The XR Interaction Toolkit provides:
You can access the controls of XR Controllers, such as buttons and joysticks, in the same ways you would access any game controllerA device to control objects and characters in a game.
See in Glossary. To access tracking data, use the XR.InputTracking API in code. You can also use the Input System TrackedPoseDriver component to control a GameObject with a tracked device such as a HMD or controller. The TrackedPoseDriver component is also available from the Legacy Input Helpers package, in case you are not using the Input System.
Note: When you use the OpenXR plug-in, you must use the Input System. The Input ManagerSettings where you can define all the different input axes, buttons and controls for your project. More info
See in Glossary is not supported.
The XR Hands package provides access to hand tracking data from XR devices that support it. To access this data, you must also use an XR provider plug-in that has been updated to support hand tracking, such as OpenXR version 1.12.
The XR Hands package provides the following:
Your input options on visionOS depend on whether your app is running in windowed mode, mixed realityMixed Reality (MR) combines its own virtual environment with the user’s real-world environment and allows them to interact with each other.
See in Glossary mode, or virtual realityVirtual Reality (VR) immerses users in an artificial 3D world of realistic images and sounds, using a headset and motion tracking. More info
See in Glossary mode.
In windowed mode, the user’s gaze and pinch gestures are translated into touch events by the operating system. Your app doesn’t have access to the raw input data. visionOS reports a maximum of two touch points.
In mixed reality mode, the input options further depend on whether your app is running in a shared space with other apps or in an immersive space. In a shared space, the situation is similar to that of a windowed app; the operating system translates the user’s gaze and hand movements into touch gestures. In this case, you can use the Spatial Pointer Device to access 3D touch data rather than just 2D. In an immersive space, you also have access to 3D ray origin and direction of the user’s gaze at the start of the gesture. In addition, you have access to ARKit data such as head and hand tracking, plane detection, scene reconstruction meshes, and image tracking.
In virtual reality mode, you have access to ARKit data such as head and hand tracking, plane detection, scene reconstruction meshes, and image tracking. (You do not have access to the Spatial Pointer Device or other PolySpatial-specific components.)
For more information, refer to PolySpatial visionOS: Input.
The XR Input APIs provide direct access to XR input. The API lets you find connected XR devices and read their tracking data and state of their input hardware.
Refer to Unity XR Input for more information about the XR input API.
Device makers and other third parties often provide their own input and interaction APIs that you can use instead of or in addition to those provided by Unity.