Google Unveils Latest Preview of Android XR Development Tools

So, Google’s been tinkering again. Yeah, they’ve tossed out another Developer Preview of their Android XR SDK — the second one, if you’re keeping count. Last year was the first. Not sure where they find the time, honestly, but here we are, staring down new gadgets and gizmos for all you developers looking to dip your toes into XR land.

Picture this: You’re at Google I/O, and they’re unveiling a whole laundry list of updates. It’s like, they’re really rolling out the red carpet for folks who wanna create XR-native apps or maybe even retrofit their regular Android ones for headsets. Because who wouldn’t want their fave app strapped to their face, right?

Oh boy, and the video stuff—they’re hyped about 180° and 360° stereoscopic playback. Using MV-HEVC, no less. It’s like they squeezed extra dimension into your screen. Kinda mind-bending if you ask me.

Now, Jetpack Compose for XR is here. Uh, think adaptive UI layouts but for your face? Fancy terms like SubspaceModifier and SpatialExternalSurface are thrown around. Makes you wonder if they’re naming these things after their pets. Jetpack Compose is basically Google’s way of saying, “Let’s make sure your app doesn’t look like a pixelated mess on tablets or those snazzy headsets.”

Oh, and hand-tracking—26 joints for you jazz-hands enthusiasts. The things you can do with them. Yes, there’s a how-to guide with samples if you’re into following instructions or whatever.

Then there’s Material Design, and wow, it’s like it’s finally getting its XR sea legs. Google reckons it’ll make your big-screen apps adapt like a chameleon in a candy store.

Here’s the kicker though: most Android XR devs don’t even have the official XR headsets in their clutches yet. Something about mixed reality Samsung’s cooking up (Project Moohan) and those trendy AR glasses called XREAL Project Aura. Later this year, they say. But hey, that’s where the Android XR Emulator steps in. I mean, if you can’t have the real deal, might as well have a darn good replica in your computer.

Oh, and speaking of tools—the Emulator just got a facelift with AMD GPU magic and some stability jazz. Integration with Android Studio is tighter than my old jeans. Thank goodness, because nobody has time for buggy workflows.

Unity’s also joining this XR party, and they’re throwing in performance goodies with Pre-Release version 2 of OpenXR. SpaceWarp support and stuff through Shader Graph—sounds pretty flashy. If you’re into templates, their Mixed Reality one is supposedly spiffed up now with hand mesh and anchors. No idea why you’d care, but some folks geek out over this stuff.

They’ve even got Android XR Samples for Unity out now. So, if you’re a dev looking to weave hand tracking and face tracing into your app tapestry, the starter thread is there. Knock yourself out.

Was Android XR a big splash at Google I/O this year? Nah, more like a ripple. But still, Google’s not slowing down. They’re pushing XR to more than just developers. Expect to see them in smart glasses from Warby Parker and Gentle Monster soon. Imagine strutting down the street with some high-tech specs on—do they call them smarties?

So yeah, keep an eye out if you wanna dive deeper. There’s a whole smorgasbord of tools and updates waiting for you geeks out there.