SDK version 0.7 is tasked with bringing more stability and reduced latency to games on the Rift headset. It will be removing the Extended Mode and is introducing a new Direct Driver Mode.
The Direct Driver Mode is a collaboration between Oculus, Nvidia, and AMD, which sees headset awareness added directly into the GPU driver. It is hoped that this will diminish latency and any issues between the SDK and third-party applications. Oculus also points out that developers will need to update their graphics drivers for this.
However, any games that developers have built on SDK 0.5 or lower will need to be updated. “We realize that there are a significant number of games and applications based on older versions of the SDK, and we’re working hard to make the path to 0.7 as smooth as possible,” said Oculus.
Its announcement adds that it is targeting a November release for SDK 1.0, which will ensure compatibility across different developer kits. Until that time, it said it can only guarantee runtime support for the current and previous versions.
For developers using Unreal Engine, integration for the version 0.7 will be included with the new SDK. Oculus added that it’s working with Unity to update Unity 5.x to 0.7 so that Unity 5.x users will be supported. For Unity 4.x users, Oculus says it will be releasing a 0.6.0.1-based plugin and will continue to provide basic support in future SDKs.
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