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Get Started With Haptics SDK

Updated: Nov 12, 2024

Overview

By the end of this guide, you will be able to:

Explain what is needed to use the Haptics SDK for Unreal.

Remember the steps to set up the Haptics SDK for Unreal and lay out the content of the asset.

Perform the steps to enable the Haptics SDK in a project.

Prerequisites

To use the Haptics SDK, please make sure you have the following:

Firmware: The SDK works on Quest 2, Quest Pro, Quest 3, Quest 3S and other PCVR headsets. The Meta Quest headsets need to run firmware version v47 or newer.

Controllers: The headset can be paired with Touch, Touch Pro, Touch Plus and other controllers.

UE (Unreal Engine): The current version of the Haptics SDK is supported in UE 5.4. You can install this from the Meta Haptics for Unreal SDK downloads page. If you’re using another UE 5.x version or UE 4.27, you can download the applicable version of the SDK from the same downloads page by changing the requested version. If you need to reinstall Unreal Engine, you’ll also need to install the Meta XR plugin for UE 5.x versions and the Oculus VR plugin for version UE 4.27. We recommend that you do this using the Oculus-VR fork of Unreal Engine on GitHub⁠. Note: You need a verified Meta Developer account, as well as Epic Games and GitHub accounts that are linked in order to access the Oculus-VR fork on GitHub. For more information, see Prerequisites for installing Unreal Engine.

Meta XR or OpenXR Plugin: The SDK requires the Meta XR plugin for only Quest devices or OpenXR Plugin for both non-Quest and Quest devices

Runtime: On PC, high-fidelity haptics are supported with Meta’s OpenXR runtime using Link. With other runtimes, such as SteamVR, the SDK will use lower fidelity haptics with a fixed vibration frequency.

Setup

Installation and import

Download the Haptics SDK for Unreal from the Meta Quest downloads page.

You can either install the SDK into your specific project or install it globally into UE.

If you don’t have a working Unreal Engine setup, go to the Setup support section, Unreal Engine setup.

Installing the SDK into project

With your project closed, extract the .zip file contents to ProjectFolder\Plugins\

Create a new Plugins\ folder if it does not exist yet.

Installing the SDK into the engine

Extract the .zip file contents to <UE5InstallationFolder>\Engine\Plugins\Marketplace\, for example: C:\Program Files\Epic Games\UE_5.x\Engine\Plugins\Marketplace\. Create a new Marketplace folder if it does not exist yet.

Haptic samples

Alternatively, you can use the Haptic Sample Packs, which are a small collection of haptic clips designed by Meta to get you started, they are included in the HapticSamples folder. You can find the same haptic samples as preinstalled packs in Meta Haptics Studio.

Project setup

Enable the haptics plugin

First you need to install and enable either the Meta XR Plugin or the OpenXR plugin. See the set up support section for instructions on this.

Once you have installed the Meta XR Haptics SDK plugin, you need to enable it in your project. Go to Edit > Plugins and search for “Meta XR Haptics SDK”, then click the checkbox to enable it. Restart the editor for the changes to take effect.

Enable Meta XR Haptics SDK in the Plugins menu.

To see the plugin’s content in the Content Drawer, click the settings icon on the right top of Content Drawer and enable the Show Plugin Content checkbox. If you installed the plugin into the engine, this checkbox is called Show Engine Content instead.

Enable the Show Plugin Content checkbox. The checkbox is called Show Engine Content if you installed the plugin into UE.

Test the setup

Open the ExampleMap under: Plugins/MetaXRHapticsSDKContent/Example/Maps/ExampleMap.

ExampleMap is found in the Plugins/MetaXRHapticsSDKContent/Example/Maps/ directory.

Enable Link mode on your headset. Make sure the headset is not sleeping and then select VR Preview. You should be able to see the scene and play the haptics clips.

Select VR Preview to see the scene and play haptic clips.

Setup support

Unreal Engine setup

Download and install your preferred UE5 version according to Installing Unreal Engine⁠.

Meta XR plugin

Download the Meta XR Plugin for UE5.

Make sure you download the version corresponding to your UE version, newer versions will not work with older engines.

Follow the instructions to install it on your engine.

The Haptics SDK for Unreal supports both the “Oculus OVRPlugin + OpenXR backend” and the “Epic Native OpenXR with Oculus vendor extensions” XR API while using the Meta XR Plugin. To set it up, go to Edit > Project Settings > Plugins > Meta XR and then select your preferred configuration as the XR API, as shown in the image below:

The Haptics SDK for Unreal only supports the Oculus OVRPlugin + OpenXR backend XR API.

In the same window, click on Launch Meta XR Project Setup Tool.

In the Meta XR Project Setup Tool window that opens, switch the platform tab in the top right from PC to Mobile (the tab labeled Mobile appears next to the PC tab at the top of the window).

Accept all the suggested fixes and changes under General Settings (you can ignore the lights).

Restart the editor. The first time these settings are applied, all shaders will need to be recompiled. This can take a few minutes.

OpenXR Plugin

This configuration does not utilize the Meta XR plugin. High-fidelity haptics will activate when using a Quest device. Non-Quest devices will still trigger simple haptics.

To adopt this configuration, enable the OpenXR plugin and restart your project, as shown in the image below: