Announcing ViroReact 2.50.0: Our Biggest Single Update Ever
Today, we are thrilled to announce the release of ViroReact 2.50.0, the most significant update in the history of ViroReact.
At ReactVision, our goal has always been to empower developers to build immersive, world-class AR/VR experiences without leaving the React Native ecosystem they love. With version 2.50.0, we aren’t just adding features; we are unlocking entirely new dimensions of what is possible for our users.
From shared multiplayer experiences to global-scale location tracking, here is what makes this release a game-changer.
Build Shared Worlds with Cloud Anchors
With the new Cloud Anchors integration via ARCore, ViroReact developers can now create multi-user, cross-platform experiences that persist in the real world. You can “host” an anchor in one location, and have another user “resolve” it on their device, allowing multiple people to interact with the same virtual content in the exact same physical spot.
The World is Your Canvas: Geospatial API
The new Geospatial API leverages Google’s Visual Positioning System (VPS) and Street View data to let you anchor 3D content to precise global locations (latitude, longitude, and altitude) with unprecedented accuracy. Imagine creating a tour guide that knows exactly which building you are looking at, or a scavenger hunt that spans an entire city.
Smarter Scenes with Scene Semantics
Your app can now “see” and understand the world around it. With Scene Semantics, ViroReact provides an ML-powered understanding of the camera feed, allowing your code to distinguish between the sky, buildings, trees, roads, and sidewalks in real-time. This opens the door for dynamic interactions, like a virtual ball bouncing off a real sidewalk but passing through a virtual ghost.
True Immersion with Occlusion
One of the hardest challenges in AR is depth perception. Previously, virtual objects in ViroReact always appeared “on top” of the real world. With our new Occlusion support (a simple prop on ARSceneNavigator), virtual objects can now realistically hide behind real-world people and objects, blending the digital and physical worlds seamlessly.
A Massive Leap in Rendering Quality
Under the hood, we have completely overhauled our GLTF 2.0 support. We’ve added support for Punctual Lights (Directional, Point, Spot), Emissive Materials, and Non-indexed Geometry. Your models will look better, load faster, and behave more realistically than ever before.
Version 2.50.0 is available now, and updated documentation and a full changelog can be found in our docs. We can’t wait to see what you build.
Need Help with ViroReact?
f you’re looking for support getting started or want an expert to help you build a comprehensive AR or VR application, look no further than our community Discord and our trusted experts.
Become a GitHub Sponsor
Love what we’re building? Help keep ViroReact thriving by becoming a GitHub Sponsor. Your support helps to fund core maintenance and new platform integrations. Did you know that if every install in the last 6 months had paid us just $1 we’d have enough budget to not only fund our current team but also grow the team further and accelerate development.