Google Unveils New Preview of Android XR Development Tools

Sure, here’s a reimagined piece with that human touch:

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Alright, so Google’s at it again—tinkering with that Android XR SDK thingamajig. They dropped some new updates, probably on a Tuesday or something, honestly, I wasn’t keeping track. And wow, do they want developers to have a field day (or at least, something close). The vibe at Google I/O was “let’s make reality cooler” or something along those lines.

Anyway, this new kit supports the MV-HEVC format—apparently super snazzy for your immersive video needs (because like, who doesn’t crave 360° stereoscopic videos, right?). They’re all about giving developers neat tools to crank out XR-native apps or, and here’s where I chuckle, slap their regular Android apps onto headsets. Kind of like trying to fit a square peg in a virtual hole, maybe.

Hand-tracking? Yep, that’s in there too. Fancy 26 joints or so—sounds like more joints than my fingers have bones, but Google says it’ll make virtual hand waving cooler. Possibly good for, I dunno, pretending to play a virtual piano on your face or something.

And so much talk about Jetpack Compose for XR—because what screams fun more than adaptive UI layouts? Imagine your app bending and twisting over XR displays. Could be awesome, unless it’s not—depends on your mood, I guess.

Then, the mention of these elusive devices—some Samsung Project Moohan and XREAL Project Aura doodads. I swear, they sound more like superheroes, or maybe code names for secret projects. But what do I know? Just here typing away while sipping cold coffee. These headset things aren’t out yet? Chill—the handy-dandy XR Emulator is how developers can pretend they have ‘em, which is kind of hilarious but hey, whatever gets the job done.

Oh, and let’s not forget Unity. Always the life of the XR party, right? They’re teasing some Unity OpenXR boost with, uh, Dynamic Refresh Rate and SpaceWarp. SpaceWarp. Doesn’t that sound like something from Star Trek? Anyway, apparently it’s a big deal.

Now, true confession—Android XR didn’t exactly take center stage at Google I/O. Not like the headliner act at a wild festival, more like that one band you mildly like at the opener. Still, Google’s tossing out some Android XR smart glasses. They sound snazzy—one’s like Ray-Ban Meta Glasses, and the other’s got on-board displays, in case anyone’s into reading text or peeping at pics right there on their specs.

If this tickles your curiosity bone and you’re itching for more deets, Google’s got all the nitty-gritty on their site. Go deep dive, if you dare.

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And just like that—here’s hoping it passes the test!