The Khronos Group is the group that manages some of the most important open source APIs, as you should already know. Among them are OpenCL, OpenGL, Vulkan, etc. But the news that interests us now is about another API quite more recent, I am referring to OpenXR. Well, now they have launched a new version OpenXR 1.0 of this specification to unify the world of virtual reality and augmented reality.
For those who still do not know OpenXR, say that adds more than just an API for developers of apps of this type, since it has also been implemented to provide a layer of drivers for hardware for virtual reality and augmented reality, presenting an abstraction interface with the device itself. And for this it has collaborators such as AMD, ARM, Collabora, Google, Epic Games, HP, HTC, Huawei, Imagination Technology, Intel, LG, Logitech, MediaTek, Microsoft, Mozilla, Nokia, NVIDIA, Oculus, Qualcomm, Razer, Samsung, Sony, VIA, etc.
OpenXR provides various possibilities to interact with VR and AR. They are becoming more and more common and used for various purposes, both simulations, video games and other applications. This is why it is important to have an open source and industry common API for dealing with virtual reality and augmented reality. Now with OpenXR 1.0 exciting enhancements and support have been added for Valve, AMD, NVIDIA, Epic Games, ARM, Oculus, HTC, Microsoft, and more.
This is also important for Linux gamingas it will indirectly affect him. Epic Games already said that they are considering OpenXR 1.0 support on Unreal Engine, the same as Valve and SteamVR seem to be doing. Also, now, as we have already discussed, Collabora is working on Monado, the open source XR runtime for Linux.