Spatial VR API

Build a complete journey, not only a scene

The first VR prototype should have a task that is easy to explain and observe. Choose a small interaction such as inspecting a component or selecting a labeled object. Build the entry, interaction, interruption, and exit paths before expanding the environment.

The WebXR starter guide uses that approach for a browser-oriented experience. It treats the ordinary page as part of the product, so visitors can understand the content even when an immersive route is unavailable or unsuitable.

Choose the application layer deliberately

Do not decide between familiar acronyms before writing down distribution requirements. A public link, a controlled installation, and a managed training deployment have different operating models. Required input capabilities, existing code, and update procedures should shape the decision.

The OpenXR versus WebXR guide provides a decision framework rather than a universal winner. Use a small representative prototype to test the riskiest assumption and record what evidence would justify changing the architecture later.

Keep input tied to intentions

Define application actions such as select, cancel, inspect, and continue. Then map available methods to those actions. Avoid making the task itself depend on a particular controller layout or a gesture that cannot be replaced without rewriting the lesson.

Make the current target and the result of a selection visible. Give users time to read instructions and a deliberate way to reverse a choice. Recovery after interruption should be part of the acceptance test, not a late release fix.

Carry accessibility through the whole session

Review posture, reach, text placement, motion, and sensory cues as part of the initial design. Alternative interaction paths must support the complete task, including settings, errors, and exit. A second input method is not useful when the next step still requires the original gesture.

Read Accessible XR before adding elaborate interaction effects. Test relevant journeys with the people they are intended to serve and describe supported behavior specifically rather than promising universal compatibility.