What's new in version 5.1

ARKit 6

ARKit 6 is the latest version of ARKit, and is included with iOS 16 on all supported devices. See Apple's ARKit 6 documentation for an introduction to the changes and new features.

Xcode 14

As of version 5.1.0-pre.1, you are now required to build iOS apps using this plug-in with Xcode 14. See Apple's Xcode 14 documentation for download and install instructions.

4K video

You are able to access the new 4K camera configurations introduced by ARKit 6 using pre-existing AR Foundation API's.

To access 4K video:

Install Xcode 14
Install iOS 16 on a compatible device (iPhone 11 and up or iPad Pro 5th Generation and up)
Set up a scene to request a 4K camera configuration
Build your Unity project as normal for iOS
Open the resulting Xcode project in Xcode 14, then build and run your app on your iOS 16 device

Note

4K video is not available on devices running iOS 15 or below.

Request a 4K camera configuration

The following sample code demonstrates how to request a 4K camera configuration from the ARCameraManager:

using System.Collections;
using Unity.Collections;
using UnityEngine;
using UnityEngine.XR.ARFoundation;

[RequireComponent(typeof(ARCameraManager))]
public class CameraConfigurator : MonoBehaviour
{
    IEnumerator Start()
    {
        // Wait for configurations to become available
        yield return new WaitForEndOfFrame();

        // Get available camera configurations
        var cameraManager = GetComponent<ARCameraManager>();
        using var configs = cameraManager.GetConfigurations(Allocator.Temp);

        // Switch to the first available 4k camera configuration
        var fourKResolution = new Vector2(3840, 2160);
        foreach (var c in configs)
        {
            if (c.resolution == fourKResolution)
            {
                Debug.Log($"Switching to 4k camera configuration:\n{c}");
                cameraManager.currentConfiguration = c;
                break;
            }
        }
    }
}

High resolution CPU image

You are able to asynchronously request a High resolution CPU image capture on iOS 16 or newer. This API natively calls the captureHighResolutionFrameWithCompletion API introduced in ARKit 6.

EXIF data

You are able to access camera frame's EXIF data on devices running iOS 16 or newer. This API natively accesses ARKit's exifData and returns a blittable subset of available data.

New 2D skeleton joints

You are able to access the new ear joints introduced to the 2D skeleton using the pre-existing AR Foundation APIs. See the HumanBodyTracking2D sample scene for example code and scene setup.

ARPlaneExtent

ARKit 6 introduces a new class called ARPlaneExtent that changes the way ARKit natively handles plane rotations on iOS 16 and up. To preserve backwards compatibility and a consistent experience across all devices, the Apple ARKit XR Plug-in now applies the new rotationOnYAxis on your behalf. The end result for you is that no action is necessary, and nothing has changed.

For a more stable way to anchor AR content to a plane, you can add your own anchor to the plane's surface after the plane is initially detected.

Advanced Camera Hardware Configuration

ARKit 6 allows access to the underlying configurable primary camera in some configurations when running iOS 16 or newer on a device with ultra-wide camera. If available, you can get a lock on this device to configure the hardware properties of the camera, such as exposure, white balance, etc. Currently, the following properties are supported for configuration:

Exposure mode, duration, and ISO
White balance mode and gains
Focus mode and lens position

Apple and ARKit are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries and regions.