Entry_003: The Software

GeraldS XR Journal covers topics in the Extended Reality (XR) space which covers all things Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Virtual Reality (VR). What will you learn in the next entry? 🤔

Aloha reader🤙🏽,

In Entry_002, I wrote about The Hardware of the XR Space focusing on a few headsets out there in the wild. In this entry, I will cover The Software. From mobile apps to development software, there is a lot to cover here in the XR space. My goal is to cover a few of the essential software to take note of with a sprinkle of other software that I feel are worth considering! I’ll keep it to two categories: Consumer Software and Developer Software.

Consumer Software

I’ll define here that consumer software is software that is accessible to end-users. For example, a mobile app you download from your smartphone or your favorite website for viewing cat videos. In the XR space, there is a vast amount of consumer software that covers a wide spectrum of mediums (i.e. mobile, web, desktop). 

Mobile Software

When it comes to Mobile Software, there are two ecosystems that come to mind: smartphones and MR headsets (i.e. HoloLens, Magic Leap). 

• Smartphones: Android💚or iPhone🍎? Search for “AR” in their respective stores (Play/App store) and from there you’ll be able to see a list of mobile apps you can download onto your device to experience a whole new way to play with your phone! While there are Mobile AR games, there are also Mobile AR creation apps (such as Adobe Aero - iOS and Torch AR - iOS, Android later). Are you on Google Maps Beta? Check out the AR feature the next time you are walking down the street looking for that local coffee shop! (please be safe when using it!)

• MR headsets: Headsets like the HoloLens have their own on-board software which tends to be described/behave like an operating system. Essentially, these powerful headsets are desktop computers you wear on your head which have their own custom base software (think Windows 10 and MacOS)

Web Software

There a few web based XR software/sites that I can think of. Most of these sites are for published media such as videos, pictures, 3D models. You can go to sites like YouTube and access those VR/360 videos which require you to have a headset hooked up to your desktop machine. There is a Virtual Reality channel on YouTube! Another neat site to explore is Sketchfab! You can browse a vast selection of models from talented artists/creators and select the “View in VR” option to check out a model in 3D space (supports Mobile and Desktop VR headsets). 

Desktop Software

• Oculus App: Got a new Oculus Quest from the Holidays? Well, this app is what you’ll probably download on your PC first in order to help setup your new headset. This is the app that will give you the full Oculus VR experience and will allow you to download most Oculus supported apps!
• SteamVR: If you’re a PC gamer, you might already have Steam installed on your machine. SteamVR is the additional tool you can download/install to access Steam’s VR experiences. This desktop software actually supports a wide variety of headsets: Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality
• Mixed Reality Portal: The Windows PC software that allows you to access XR experiences from SteamVR and the Microsoft Store. (whoops, I just realized that I forgot to cover these Mixed Reality headsets in Entry_002 😭)

Developer Software

Are you a Software Engineer/Developer or Content Developer? This section is for you!

There is a lot to cover here so be prepared with a lot of hyperlinks coming your way! Two big names for VR/AR development especially with games are Unity and Unreal Engine. (I’ve linked their sites covering development in the space). In recent years, Amazon entered the fray with their offering, Sumerian. Other tools I’ve come to learn about (through the power of Social media, Mahalo Twitter and Slack!) are: 8th Wall (for WebAR), 6d.ai (building the AR Cloud), and The Niantic Real World Platform (not out yet).

As a Mobile App Developer, I’ve been able to tinker around with tools such as ARKit, Reality Composer, ARCore, and Sceneform to introduce AR into mobile apps! 🤓

Observing the XR space since 2016 and having a Software Engineering background, I am always appreciative of the evolution and additional offerings of developer software/tools that allow more people to create experiences like never before to share with the rest of the world! 

What Consumer Software have you tried out in the XR space? How about Developer Software? Is there any XR Software you wished you had? Let’s discuss in the comments below!

New Reads

Facebook’s AI Research Chief Talks AR Glasses, AI, And Machine Learning

The Journey to Mass Adoption: Why VR is the New Color TV

Teslasuit’s new VR gloves let you feel virtual objects and track your pulse

Job Leads 

Extended Reality Software Developer @ University of Michigan

Digital Reality Augmented, Mixed and Virtual Reality Engineer - Los Angeles @ Deloitte

XR Tech TPM - Computational Photography @ Facebook

That wraps up Entry_003 of my XR Journal. I hope you end this year and start the New Year with a bang! I’ll see you in next decade! 

Mahalo reader🤙🏽,

Gerald