Input forwarding

Updated: Oct 7, 2025

Overview

Input forwarding eliminates the need to constantly put on and take off your headset during development. Move around your scene, click and drag on panels, and grab objects in your 3D scene using keyboard and mouse controls.

Here’s a quick example of what input forwarding looks like in action:

Setup

You need Meta Quest Developer Hub (MQDH) version 5.0 or later to use input forwarding. Download MQDH to get started. Input forwarding works through MQDH’s cast functionality.

Adding input forwarding

Sample projects already include this setup.

In the [versions] block of your libs.versions.toml file, add a variable called spatialSDK if there isn’t one already.

 spatialsdk = "0.8.1"

In the [libraries] block, add the cast input forward feature.

 meta-spatial-sdk-castinputforward = { group = "com.meta.spatial", name = "meta-spatial-sdk-castinputforward", version.ref = "spatialsdk" }

In the dependencies {} block of app/build.gradle.kts, add the new dependency.

 dependencies {
     implementation(libs.meta.spatial.sdk.castinputforward)
 }

In your app’s main activity file, add the CastInputForwardFeature to the registerFeatures() method.

   override fun registerFeatures(): List<SpatialFeature> {
     var features = ...
    if (BuildConfig.DEBUG) {
      features.add(CastInputForwardFeature(this))
    }
     return features
   }

CastInputForwardFeature should never be included in release builds. The BuildConfig.DEBUG check ensures this feature only runs during development.

Using input forwarding

Connect your headset

Make sure it shows up in MQDH.

Start casting with MQDH

Follow the Cast headset footage guide to start casting with MQDH.

Run your app

Make sure that you’re building a DEBUG flavor, and run your app in Android Studio.

Select the input forwarding icon while inside of your app to enable input forwarding.

Casting with input forwarding only works with your resolution set to Original (1:1). It will not work correctly if your resolution is set to Cropped (16:9) or Cinematic (16:9).

Note: The white cursor reflects the input forwarding controller’s interaction with the scene. This may not line up perfectly with where your mouse cursor is on the Cast window.

Controls

Key	Action
W / Up Arrow	Move forward
S / Down Arrow	Move backward
A	Move left
D	Move right
Q	Move up
E	Move down
Left Arrow	Rotate left
Right Arrow	Rotate right
Shift	Sprint
Left mouse button	Click
Ctrl + Left mouse button / Right mouse button	Hold to rotate view
Space + Left mouse button	Grab

Troubleshooting

Input forwarding has started, but there’s no cursor in app

Verify the following:

You are on MQDH version 5.0

You have followed all the steps to include input forwarding to your app.

It must be added per-app.

CastInputForwardFeature should be one of the features you return in registerFeatures()

Your app is in general input forwarding mode if you experience slow movement, can leave the boundary, and see no input forwarding cursor. Spatial SDK needs a specific input forwarding mode to connect to your cast window.

Fix this by restarting your app and selecting the input forward icon in your Cast window again. In rare cases you may need to restart your Cast window as well.

Make sure you have added the <uses-native-library> tag for libossdk, mentioned above in the Adding input forwarding section.

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