# OpenHMD/OpenHMD

Free and Open Source API and drivers for immersive technology.

Repository: https://github.com/OpenHMD/OpenHMD
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/openhmd
Language: C
License: BSL-1.0
License Family: other
Topics: openhmd, oculus, rift, vr, hmd, driver, multi-platform, linux, psvr, vive
Last push: 2025-04-23T19:20:02+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 31/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 18, release rhythm 8, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 4859, "days_push": 497, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1284, forks 206 (observed 2026-08-28T04:04:14.604626+00:00)

## What it is
OpenHMD is a free and open source C library providing an API and drivers for immersive technology devices such as head-mounted displays with built-in head tracking. It supports devices like the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, PSVR, Deepoon, NOLO, and Windows MR headsets across Linux, Windows, macOS, Android, and FreeBSD.

## Use cases
- read head tracking data from an Oculus Rift in my C application
- access HTC Vive HMD sensors on Linux without proprietary drivers
- build a cross-platform VR app with an open source driver API
- get head orientation from a PSVR headset on Linux
- interface with Windows Mixed Reality headsets from open source code
- prototype VR hardware support without vendor SDKs

## When to choose
- you need an open source, permissively licensed (BSL-1.0) API for legacy HMDs like Rift DK2, PSVR, or Vive
- you are targeting Linux or BSD where vendor VR drivers are weak
- you want a small C library with bindings for Go, Java, .NET, Perl, Python, or Rust

## When to avoid
- you need actively maintained XR support - use Monado instead, as OpenHMD is explicitly unmaintained
- you need Oculus Rift CV1 positional tracking, which lives in a separate fork
- you need modern headset support or production-grade VR runtime features

## Facets
- artifact type: library
- maturity: abandoned
- function: sdk, graphics, simulation
- domain: hardware, cross-platform, developer-tools
- platform: windows, bsd, cross-platform, cpp
- tags: vr, hmd, head-tracking, oculus-rift, htc-vive, psvr, wmr, hidapi, unmaintained, xr, driver, virtual-reality, linux, macos, android

## Member repositories
- OpenHMD/OpenHMD (main) score 31

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:14.604626+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T04:56:42.738342+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/OpenHMD/OpenHMD (fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:14.604626+00:00, sha b1a625e3f84e)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.