Oculus has announced on their news blog that they’re introducing experimental Passthrough API for developers. This will allow people to experiment with mixed reality.
This will give developers the ability to build and test apps that blend together the real and virtual worlds. This opens up all new possibilities for mixed reality experiences!
The Passthrough API experimental will be available in the upcoming Version 31 SDK release for the Quest 2 device.
The Oculus team says the API will allow you to create experiences for:
- Productivity: Enable users to collaborate with a remote team of co-workers or friends through virtual monitors, while accessing their physical keyboard and desk.
- Gaming: Create games that blend the excitement of a virtual world into the comfort and familiarity of the real world, like zombies hiding in your living room.
- Co-located Social Presence: Allow users to be both engaged in your virtual content and able to interact with people and pets in the same room, at the same time.
With the experimental release for the API it’ll also allow you to customize the look and feel for Passthrough!
You can even add filters or tints from a predefined list, customize the opacity and even draw!
This Passthrough API Experimental will be available for Unity developers in the upcoming SDK release. A production version for this API is targeted for release later this year.
Oculus also states the Passthrough API is designed with privacy in mind. Apps that use the Passthrough API cannot access, view or store any images or videos from your environment.
This is huge news. The potential of the Oculus Quest being a multipurpose device to target both virtual and mixed reality would be amazing.
This would also be Facebook’s first steps into a mixed reality headset. Maybe the next Oculus Quest could provide both AR/VR experiences?
You can read the full announcement from the Oculus Blog here. To stay up to date with all things augmented reality, join our monthly newsletter or follow our Twitter!
Leave a Reply