- Google has confirmed to Android Authority that apps will be able to request access to both the world-facing camera and the selfie camera on Android XR headsets.
- The world-facing camera gives apps a video of the user’s surroundings that they can then overlay, creating immersive experiences.
- The selfie camera, on the other hand, only gives apps an image stream that contains the user’s avatar, for privacy reasons.
Google announced its Android XR platform at the end of last year to get developers ready for upcoming extended reality (XR) headsets and smart glasses running the new OS. While Google is certainly no stranger to XR, it’s a bit late at coming up with a full-fledged competitor to Meta’s platform. To get developers on board with creating immersive apps for Android XR, Google will allow apps to access the camera feeds on XR headsets, a capability that is rare among XR platforms.
Like Android phones, XR headsets have a lot of cameras. The cameras facing outwards can be used to show a passthrough view of the world, allowing you to see your surroundings without making you take off the headset. If apps could access these camera feeds, then they would be able to create immersive, mixed reality experiences of their own.