[Sony Xperia X Guides, News, & Discussion] mbc07:
Update: with the release of version 1.5, calibration profiles for Xperia X are shipped within the app, so the only thing you need to do is download and install the most recent ARCore APK. Trying to download ARCore-enabled apps directly from the Play Store isn't possible yet (they still shows "your device is not compatible with this version") but since Google is already shipping profiles for Xperia X on current ARCore version, official support might appear at any moment! In the mean time you can still install ARCore-enabled apps through other sources like APK Mirror, they'll work just fine.

The original thread is archived below, for reference.

This guide will show you how to get ARCore installed and working on Xperia X despite this phone not being officially supported at the moment.

Requirements

• Xperia X or Xperia X dual SIM running at least Android 7.0 (tested only on stock firmware but should work with custom ROMs too).

• If your phone isn't rooted, you'll need access to a computer with ADB and the required drivers installed and working (I won't cover that part on this guide).

Instructions

• Go to APK Mirror then download and install the most recent ARCore APK available for the arm64-v8a architecture (it must be at least version 1.4, older versions won't work!).

• Now download and install any ARCore-enabled app (e.g. Measure, Just a Line, etc -- you must install at least one app before proceeding).

• Open any of the ARCore-enabled apps you've installed at least once. What will happen vary from app to app but you eventually get stuck in an error screen saying your device isn't compatible. Once you get there, close the app.

From there, you have two different routes to continue (don't do both, pick one or another):

If you have root access

• Use a root-enabled file explorer app of your preference and navigate to /data/data/com.google.ar.core/files/device_profile2_database.

• Locate the files device_profile_F8131_colon_7.textproto and device_profile_F8131_colon_8.textproto and rename them replacing the part highlighted in blue to F5121 (if your Xperia X is the dual SIM variant, rename the blue part to F5122 instead).

If you don't have root access

• Make sure USB Debugging is enabled on the Developer Settings of your phone.

• Connect your Xperia X to the computer, download the file attached on this thread, then open Command Prompt / Terminal and run the command adb restore ARCore_F51xx.ab

• If asked, allow debugging access on your phone, then a Backup/Restore prompt will appear. Confirm the restore operation on your phone.

And that's it, you finished. Open any ARCore-enabled app now and they'll just work without complaining your device isn't supported.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: It seems too easy. How/why it works?

A: With the release of ARCore 1.4, Google added official support for some 2016 Xperia devices such as Xperia X Performance and Xperia X Compact, but for unknown reasons, Xperia X was left out of the party. What we're doing here is simply tricking ARCore that the calibration profile made for Xperia X Performance is actually for the Xperia X instead.

Q: Why are you instructing people to use the calibration profile for Xperia X Performance instead of the profile for Xperia X Compact?

A: Because the Xperia X Performance is much more closer to the Xperia X than the Xperia X Compact if you consider the layout and the placement of the internal components. Remember that the X Performance is essentially an Xperia X with IP65/68 rating and Snapdragon 820 SoC instead of Snapdragon 650 (even some parts of both models are interchangeable!). That's important because it seems even the physical location of the accelerometer/gyroscope sensor inside the phone's body affect the accuracy of ARCore measurements, as I got worse results when using the calibration profile from Xperia X Compact. That's why I sticked to the profile made for Xperia X Performance.

Q: I can't find ARCore-enabled apps on the Play Store when searching from my phone / Play Store won't let me install ARCore-enabled apps because it thinks my device isn't compatible. Why?

A: The device checks on the Play Store are done on server-side, although this guide enable ARCore to run on Xperia X, it's still not supported officially. There's no way to bypass this check, so you need to download whatever ARCore-enabled app you want from other sources like APK Mirror, F-Droid, etc...