user: How do I use Head-Mounted Displays (Virtual Reality) in Blender? Include parameters, examples, warnings and best practices.

assistant: HMDs make it possible to place users in an interactive, virtual environment. Attached
to the head, they track head movements to project a seemingly surrounding world onto small screens in front of the
user’s eyes. If the system works well, they experience the virtual environment as if they were really inside of it.

### Supported Platforms

Virtual reality support in Blender is implemented through the multi-platform OpenXR standard. This standard is new and
therefore support for it is still limited.

OpenXR compatible platforms.

| Platform | Operating System | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [HTC Vive Cosmos](#htc-vive-cosmos) | Windows | [Developer Preview](https://forum.htc.com/topic/9046-vive-openxr-support-for-vive-cosmos/) |
| [HTC Vive Focus 3](#htc-vive-focus-3) | Windows | [Developer Preview](https://forum.htc.com/topic/9876-focus-3-openxr-support-status/page/3/) |
| [Monado](#monado) | GNU/Linux | *Not* recommended for general use yet. |
| [Meta (formerly Oculus)](#meta-formerly-oculus) (Rift and Quest) | Windows | Requires Oculus v31 Software Update. Oculus Link required for Quest. |
| [SteamVR](#steamvr) | Windows, GNU/Linux | Requires SteamVR 1.16 or greater. |
| [Varjo](#varjo) | Windows | – |
| [Windows Mixed Reality](#windows-mixed-reality) | Windows | Requires Windows 10 May 2019 Update (1903). |

### Getting Started

The following subsections describe how an HMD can be set up for usage with the [supported platforms](#supported-platforms). If this is not
done, Blender will report an error when trying to start a virtual reality session.

#### HTC Vive Cosmos

The dedicated platform for the [HTC Vive Cosmos](https://www.vive.com/eu/product/#cosmos%20series) is currently
targeted at developers and may lack features found in other platforms.

- Follow the steps from the
  [Vive Developer Forums](https://forum.htc.com/topic/9046-vive-openxr-support-for-vive-cosmos/).
- Enable the [VR Scene Inspection add-on](../../addons/3d_view/vr_scene_inspection.xhtml) in Blender.

#### HTC Vive Focus 3

The dedicated platform for the [HTC Vive Focus 3](https://www.vive.com/eu/product/vive-focus3/overview/) is
currently targeted at developers and may lack features found in other platforms.

- Follow the steps from the
  [Vive Developer Forums](https://forum.htc.com/topic/9876-focus-3-openxr-support-status/page/3/).
- Enable the [VR Scene Inspection add-on](../../addons/3d_view/vr_scene_inspection.xhtml) in Blender.

#### Monado

[Monado](https://monado.dev/) is a [free and open source](../about/license.xhtml) XR platform for
Linux. It is not yet ready for production usage and should only be used for testing purposes.

- Packages are available for the following distributions:

  - Ubuntu ([Eoan, Focal](https://launchpad.net/~monado-xr/+archive/ubuntu/monado))
  - Debian ([bullseye](https://packages.debian.org/bullseye/libopenxr1-monado),
    [sid](https://packages.debian.org/sid/libopenxr1-monado))

  For other systems, it has to be compiled from source, which in this case is not recommended for people with little
  experience in compiling software. Follow the
  [Getting Started Guides](https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/monado/monado/-/blob/main/README.md) from Monado to do so
  nevertheless.
- Enable the [VR Scene Inspection add-on](../../addons/3d_view/vr_scene_inspection.xhtml) in Blender.

#### Meta (formerly Oculus)

[Meta (formerly Oculus)](https://www.meta.com/quest/) provides full support for OpenXR as of the Oculus v31
Software Update.

- Download and install the [Oculus Rift/Oculus Link software](https://www.meta.com/quest/setup/).
- Set Oculus as the active OpenXR runtime via the *General* tab in the Oculus App Settings.

[image reference removed]

- Enable the [VR Scene Inspection add-on](../../addons/3d_view/vr_scene_inspection.xhtml) in Blender.

#### SteamVR

[SteamVR](https://www.steamvr.com/) provides full support for OpenXR as of SteamVR 1.16.

- Set SteamVR as the active OpenXR runtime via the *Developer* tab in the SteamVR Settings.

[image reference removed]

- Enable the [VR Scene Inspection add-on](../../addons/3d_view/vr_scene_inspection.xhtml) in Blender.

#### Varjo

[Varjo](https://varjo.com/) includes full OpenXR support with its required Varjo Base software.

- Enable the [VR Scene Inspection add-on](../../addons/3d_view/vr_scene_inspection.xhtml) in Blender.

#### Windows Mixed Reality

[Windows Mixed Reality](https://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-mixed-reality) provides full support for OpenXR.
To check if a PC meets the requirements to run the software, Microsoft offers the
[Windows Mixed Reality PC Check](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/windows-mixed-reality-pc-check/9nzvl19n7cnc)
application.

- Make sure the Windows 10 May 2019 Update (1903) is installed.
- If the system meets all requirements, the Mixed Reality Portal should already be installed. It is also available in
  the [Microsoft Store](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/mixed-reality-portal/9ng1h8b3zc7m).
- Launch the Mixed Reality Portal. Click the menu button `...` in the lower left corner. In the menu it opens,
  select the *Set up OpenXR*.
- Enable the [VR Scene Inspection add-on](../../addons/3d_view/vr_scene_inspection.xhtml) in Blender.

[image reference removed]