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demonixis/openxr-osx

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

★ 40C++Audience · developerComplexity · 5/5LicenseSetup · hard

TLDR

An early-stage OpenXR runtime that brings VR and mixed-reality app support to Apple Silicon Macs.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((OpenXR OSX))
    What it does
      OpenXR runtime for macOS
      Streams to Quest headsets
      visionOS viewer
    Tech stack
      C++20
      Metal
      Vulkan
      SDL3
    Use cases
      Test OpenXR apps on Mac
      Stream VR to Android headset
      Build mixed-reality tools
    Audience
      VR developers
      Systems programmers
    Status
      Early development
      Frequent crashes expected
      Passing conformance tests

Code map

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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Test an OpenXR-based VR or mixed-reality app locally on an Apple Silicon Mac.

USE CASE 2

Stream VR content from a Mac to a Meta Quest headset over the Android client.

USE CASE 3

Build or debug against OpenXR extensions like hand tracking on macOS.

USE CASE 4

Prototype a visionOS-based immersive viewer that connects to this runtime.

What is it built with?

C++MetalVulkanSDL3CMakeNinja

How does it compare?

demonixis/openxr-osxzcythiero/delta-exec-pccaspermeijn/onvifviewer
Stars404041
LanguageC++C++C++
Last pushed——2023-01-19
Maintenance——Dormant
Setup difficultyhardmoderatemoderate
Complexity5/52/53/5
Audiencedevelopergeneralgeneral

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · hard Time to first run · 1day+

Needs Apple Silicon macOS 13+, C++20 toolchain, and Android SDK/NDK for the headset client.

You can use, modify, and share the code, but changes to MPL-2.0 licensed files must be shared under the same license.

In plain English

OpenXR OSX Runtime is a C++ project that brings OpenXR support to Apple Silicon Macs. OpenXR is an open standard for virtual and augmented reality applications, the kind of software that runs on VR headsets and mixed reality devices. Historically, macOS has had no official OpenXR runtime, so developers had nowhere to test or run OpenXR-based apps directly on a Mac. This project, created by Yannick Comte, fills that gap. It includes a macOS runtime, a unified viewer for macOS and iOS that offers both a Simulator mode and a StereoView two-eye display mode, an early visionOS viewer, and a streaming stack with an Android client aimed at Quest-class headsets. In practice this means someone can stream OpenXR content from a Mac out to a connected VR headset. The visionOS viewer is described as opening a small floating search window, then entering immersive VR automatically once a stream connects, sending head position and hand tracking data back to the runtime. The README is direct about the project's current state: it is in early development and not production ready, frequent crashes and bugs are expected as a normal part of that stage, and on macOS the non-standard nature of OpenXR support means apps currently need to be launched from the command line rather than as a typical desktop app. The README also discloses that the project uses AI-generated code and documentation. On the positive side, it reports that Metal rendering, the core runtime flow, Vulkan interop, and loader-backed runtime tests are already working, along with several OpenXR extensions for hand tracking and debugging, and that a recent conformance test run passed 63 tests with none failing. To build it you need macOS 13 or later on Apple Silicon, C++20, CMake with FetchContent, Ninja, SDL3, the OpenXR SDK, Metal, and Vulkan headers for the interop paths, plus the Android SDK, NDK, and Java 17 if you want to build the Android streaming client. The project is licensed under MPL-2.0, with third-party SDKs and platform components keeping their own separate licenses.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Explain what OpenXR is and why macOS never had an official runtime for it.
Prompt 2
Walk me through building this project from source on an Apple Silicon Mac with CMake and Ninja.
Prompt 3
Help me set up the Android streaming client so I can connect a Quest headset to this runtime.
Prompt 4
What does StereoView mode do differently from Simulator mode in the viewer app?
Prompt 5
Explain what the OpenXR-CTS conformance test results in the README mean in plain English.

Frequently asked questions

What is openxr-osx?

An early-stage OpenXR runtime that brings VR and mixed-reality app support to Apple Silicon Macs.

What language is openxr-osx written in?

Mainly C++. The stack also includes C++, Metal, Vulkan.

What license does openxr-osx use?

You can use, modify, and share the code, but changes to MPL-2.0 licensed files must be shared under the same license.

How hard is openxr-osx to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated hard, with roughly 1day+ to a first successful run.

Who is openxr-osx for?

Mainly developer.

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