Google Unveils New Preview of Android XR Development Tools

Alright, so, Google tossed out another update. It’s like opening a new box of tech tricks, but this one’s the Android XR SDK Developer Preview 2. Flashback to last year when they first gave us a taste. Now, they’re piling on more goodies—think immersive video, hand-tracking, fancy UI stuff. Anyway, they spilled the beans at Google I/O, which is just a fancy way of saying “Hey, developers, let’s make cool stuff.”

So, what’s hot? Oh, just some 180° and 360° stereoscopic video with MV-HEVC. No clue what all that means, but apparently it’s the cool way to watch 3D stuff nowadays. And if you’re into UI gawking, Jetpack Compose for XR is now a thing. It’s like having a toolkit on steroids—making sure your app looks snazzy whether it’s on a phone or right up in your face on a headset.

Now, picture this: hand-tracking in ARCore. Imagine waving your fingers around and stuff happens. There are 26 ways to do it now. Google’s throwing developers a bone—or maybe more like a treasure map—with updated guides for this magic.

They also bulked up Material Design for XR. Imagine it as your app on steroids, bulking up for the XR universe. But hold on, many developers don’t even have the new headsets yet. But when they do, think Samsung Project Moohan and XREAL Project Aura. Sounds like sci-fi titles, right? Google’s Android XR Emulator is apparently the unsung hero here, letting devs tinker with stuff before those headsets even hit the shelves.

The update? Yeah, Emulators now cozy up with AMD GPUs, so things run smoother. Also, if you’re a Unity fan, they have new game-engine jazz like better refresh rates and fancy graphics tricks. Developers are probably bouncing in their seats at this.

Here’s a fun tidbit: Android XR is popping up in more places. Like, Warby Parker and Gentle Monster are crafting smart glasses with these updates. So, one day you might be rocking glasses that do more than just sit on your nose.

Anyway, if you’re still curious, go dig around for more on the Android XR Developer Preview. There’s more geeky stuff to unravel.