Gear VR Update: Gear VR App Development no Longer Supported From Oculus SDK Suite 1.42 and Future Versions

In December of 2014, we launched the Gear VR headset in partnership with Samsung. Together with Samsung, we have continued to evolve the form factor, releasing five versions of the headset and expanding compatibility to more than 20 smartphones. Gear VR has enabled people all over the world to experience virtual reality for the first time.

While many people still enjoy Gear VR, our focus for developers has now shifted to delivering the best experience for our more recent devices. Starting today, Gear VR app development will no longer be supported beginning with Oculus SDK Suite 1.42 Unity/Unreal integration and Oculus native Mobile SDK 1.27.0. Going forward, all Gear VR apps will need to leverage the Oculus Mobile SDK 1.26.0 or SDK Suite 1.41 Unity/Unreal integrations. This does not mean all Gear VR developer support is ending, and nothing changes for development on our other devices.

Of course, people who own Gear VR headsets can continue using them as usual, but as John Carmack stated during his OC6 keynote, we will be winding down support for Gear VR software in the future. We will keep you informed of future changes as they arise.

The development of Gear VR enabled us to create the core technology that powers Oculus Quest today. It gave us Mobile Asynchronous Timewarp and helped us optimize core system software. Teams built fast path rendering pipelines that have never before existed on a mobile chipset. Gear VR drove the development of our SDK Suite, which powers Unreal and Unity integrations, to provide a unified development platform that spans PC and mobile VR. The development tools, APIs, and even the in-headset system interface we use on Oculus Quest today all began life as components of Gear VR.

With the growing momentum of all-in-one and PC VR, we are confident that these are the platforms where developers stand to be the most successful and should continue to target moving forward. The future is bright for VR technology and we look forward to continuing this journey with you.

Q: What if I am currently developing a Gear VR app?
A: If your app uses Oculus Mobile SDK 1.26.0 or Oculus SDK Suite 1.41 or earlier, then your app will not be affected by this update.

Q. What if I ship an Oculus Go app? Will Gear VR users be able to use it?
A: If your app uses Oculus Mobile SDK 1.26.0 or Oculus SDK Suite 1.41 or earlier, then it will work on Gear VR as well as Oculus Go. Otherwise it will only appear in the Oculus Go store.

Q: I have already published a Gear VR game/application. What does this mean for my existing audience?
A: All Gear VR games and applications continue to be supported so people can still download and experience your title.

Q: I created my Gear VR app with UE4. When I upgrade UE4 to a new version will my application still function as intended?
A: Developers can continue to access the Gear VR supported native Mobile SDK 1.26.0 from the Oculus downloads page and the associated 1.41 Unity and Unreal integrations from the following links: