Owlchemy Labs and Resolution Games have disclosed their plans to embrace Android XR by bringing some of their most beloved games to Google’s upcoming XR operating system.
Anticipate the arrival of Android XR alongside Samsung’s mixed reality headset, known as ‘Project Moohan,’ which is expected to hit the consumer market sometime in 2025. Unlike its predecessor, Daydream, this isn’t just a passing experiment; Android XR is designed to operate on XR headsets, offering compatibility with a vast array of traditional Android applications, along with immersive XR content.
Both Owlchemy Labs and Resolution Games are well-established leaders in the XR sector and seem to be leveraging their familiar ‘first mover’ advantage yet again. Their reputation for supporting all the major VR platforms means this announcement, while noteworthy, isn’t entirely unexpected.
In their individual announcements, Owlchemy Labs confirmed that their timeless VR classic, Job Simulator (2016), along with its acclaimed sequel, Vacation Simulator (2019), will soon be available on Android XR. Meanwhile, Resolution Games revealed that Demeo (2021) will also join the lineup.
Samsung is placing heavy emphasis on Project Moohan’s hand and eye-tracking features, similar to what Apple Vision Pro offers. However, Project Moohan takes it a step further by incorporating first-party motion controllers and the ability to stream PC VR content, making it a unique blend of both ecosystems.
For game makers like Owlchemy Labs and Resolution Games, who have already implemented hand and eye-tracking in their titles on Vision Pro, transitioning to Android XR seems relatively straightforward. Thanks to Unity’s initial support for Android XR and the incorporation of the OpenXR software standard, the process appears smooth.
Owlchemy Labs emphasized the efficiency of developing for Android XR in a press release, stating, “Android XR allowed us an efficient pathway to develop immersive experiences compatible across numerous XR devices. Its seamless integration with Unity, providing most functionalities through Unity APIs without third-party libraries, greatly simplified the transition and made it easy to adapt our Unity-built games for XR.”
Echoing this sentiment, Resolution Games’ CTO, Johan Gästrin, praised Google’s aligned vision for social experiences, describing Google’s initiative as “a significant move in the XR field.”
These games, offering a variety from the whimsical escapades of Job Simulator to the engaging multiplayer strategy of Demeo, serve as excellent gateways for novices stepping into XR. However, there’s still a question mark over how quickly other XR studios will jump on the Android XR bandwagon, particularly as the platform’s success is closely tied to Project Moohan’s performance. The price of the headset, along with its detailed specifications and release timing, remains under wraps and is arguably the most influencing factor.
