Design

Indirect Interactions

Updated: Sep 3, 2026

Explore how to enable your users to interact with UI and objects in VR that are outside of their reach.

Ray interaction using a virtual ray extending from the user's hand to interact with distant objects.

Usage

Direct interaction (touch, grab) suits close-range tasks because it feels intuitive. Indirect interactions enable users to select, grab, or manipulate virtual content that is positioned outside of their immediate physical reach.

One advantage of indirect interactions is comfortability. Users can experience an application in a relaxed sitting pose without needing to exert physical effort.

Two people in a room. One stands relaxed and pinches to send a ray across the room to a distant target. The other sprawls across a table, straining to touch a nearby object directly.

Use indirect interactions to engage with content beyond arm's reach.

Anatomy

These are the different parts, characteristics, and frequently used terminologies that you should be familiar with:

A seated user with four numbered callouts: 1 on the eyes, 2 on the pointing hand, 3 on the line running from the head to a distant object, and 4 on the highlighted object itself.

A schematic view of the parts of an indirect interaction. The ray is drawn here to show where it runs; it is not rendered for the user when targeting with the eyes.

Part or term	Description
1. Targeting	For targeting distant interactables, the following input modalities can be used: Eyes, Hands, Controllers, or Head.
2. Selection	For selecting distant interactables, the following input modalities can be used: Hands, Controllers, Voice, and HMD buttons.
3. Ray or raycast	A line projected from the input modality to the target. Depending on the input method, a visible ray or line extends from the hand or controller toward the target. In the case of targeting with eyes, the ray is invisible to the user.
4. Cursor	A visual indicator at the ray's intersection with an object, showing the exact hit point. The cursor can appear as a discrete shape (such as a dot or ring) or as a contextual hover effect on the target itself.
Indirect interaction	An interaction pattern where the user engages with an object from a distance rather than through direct contact.

Variants

There are different ways to combine targeting with selection methods. The available modes depend on device capabilities and context.

Ray casting

A hand with a ray extending from it to a small distant target.

A virtual ray extends from the user's hand or controller to interact with distant objects.

Targeting : Hand, Controllers

Selection : Hands, Controllers

Gaze targeting

A cutaway view of a headset interior showing the two lenses and their eye-tracking sensors.

On devices with eye tracking, gaze can be used for targeting combined with a hand pinch gesture or voice for selection.

Targeting : Gaze

Selection : Hands, Voice

Head ray (fallback)

A headset with a ray extending forward from its centre to a small distant target.

If the device is unable to receive any external input, the system falls back to using the Head ray (centered in the user's field of view) for aiming and the device's volume buttons for selection.

Targeting : Head

Selection : HMD buttons

Note: Beyond its role as a fallback, the Head ray is a vital tool for development and debugging. It can be used for input suppression, input focus, and it allows developers to test gaze-based interactions on devices that do not have eye-tracking hardware.

Types

Indirect interactions are categorized by how a user triggers a response or manipulates a distant object. These mechanisms define the behavior of the virtual content once it is engaged.

Select

The most fundamental form of indirect interaction. Selection allows users to activate buttons, toggle switches, or engage with objects without physical contact.

Input	Action
Hand	Index-thumb pinch
Controllers	Trigger button
Voice	“Select” (voice command)

Transform

Users can manipulate an object’s properties by interacting with its bounding box handles. This allows for precise adjustments to the object’s position in space, rotation, or scale.

Input	Action
Hand	Index-thumb pinch-and-hold
Controllers	Trigger or grip button hold
Voice	“Select” (voice command)

Distance grab: Interactable to hand

Upon selection, the item moves rapidly toward the user’s hand and attaches to it. This is ideal for tools or items the user needs to inspect closely.

Distance grab: Anchor at hand

This allows the user to move and “steer” an item from a distance. The object maintains its original distance from the user but follows the movement and rotation of the user’s hand.

Next steps

Designing experiences

Indirect interactions: best practices: Affordance and design recommendations for indirect interactions.
Indirect interactions: specs: Technical specifications for ray length, laser appearance, cursor, disambiguation, and affordances.
Input mappings: Understand how targeting and selection work across input methods.
Input hierarchy: Learn how the system prioritizes input modalities and fallback logic.
Touch: Explore direct interaction through touch.
Grab: Explore object manipulation through grab.
Hands: Learn about hands as an input modality for ray casting.
Controllers: Learn about controllers as an input modality for ray casting.