Facepunch Studios has announced that its forthcoming physics sandbox and recreation development platform will leverage OpenXR, a move that will not only enhance its virtual reality feature set but also expand the range of supported devices.
Since its inception in 2015, VR help has been a constant presence at Facepunch, with the long-awaited introduction of a spiritual successor that promises to revolutionize the gaming landscape. This ambitious project will not only boast a sandbox mode, as one would expect, but also a comprehensive game development platform for users to create and publish their very own third-party video games, opening up limitless possibilities for creativity and innovation.
By the end of the last month, the studio had unveiled its developer preview to the broader public, a move that, until recently, came with integrated support for VR through its partnership with SteamVR. However, the studio has since disconnected SteamVR from its backend infrastructure and switched to OpenXR assistance instead.
With the shift to OpenXR, Facepunch is quietly relinquishing its dependence on Steam, allowing for greater creative freedom and independence for developers using the platform, a move that belies the initial promise of “no main adjustments to performance”.
“The key benefits of this approach include having granular control over each aspect, significantly expanding our feature set, and being able to support an even broader range of devices,” says programmer Alex Guthrie.
While SteamVR applications are closely tied to the Steam ecosystem, OpenXR represents an open, cross-platform API designed to maximize compatibility and reduce fragmentation in the XR space, thereby enabling support for a broad range of XR devices and peripherals across multiple platforms.
Although you’ll have technical access to the developer preview immediately, it still needs significant refinement before reaching a stable 1.0 release.
Upon its anticipated release on Steam at an unspecified point in the future, Facepunch will undoubtedly be eager to showcase a diverse library of first- and third-party content, including a plethora of innovative VR experiences. As part of its ongoing efforts, the studio is currently hosting a massive recreation jam that’s open to participants from around the world, with an incredible £40,000 in prize money up for grabs.
As new details emerge about the upcoming event, we’ll keep a close eye out for updates on the platform’s Discord server and information hub, inviting all interested parties to join us at [invite link]. Stay tuned!
