Getting started with VR in C++ on Meta Quest

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2024-10-04 04:30:02

Meta Quest headsets let you write 3D programs in C or C++, using OpenGL ES or Vulkan as a rendering backend, and deploy them using the XR Mobile SDK.

Given how powerful these devices are, and how much fun they are to hack on, it's kind of crazy to me how little community or discourse there is online surrounding them.

In this blog post I'll introduce how developing on Quest devices works. I'll touch on the inner workings of the SDK, cover the structure of sample projects, and go over a small set of changes I made to one of them.

The SDK includes a collection of small programs, each consisting of an NDK project that focuses on a particular capability of the device.

For people who are curious about VR development, enjoy low-level programming, and have at least glanced at the core topics covered by OpenGL tutorials that are floating around online (1,2), these devices are a slam dunk for hands-on learning.

Meta Quest devices run a modified version of Android operating system. I think it's helpful to build an understanding of how graphics work in the Android ecosystem at large to gain a deeper understanding of how Quest devices work.