# ReactVision

> ReactVision, Inc. is the independent company behind ViroReact, the most widely used open-source AR and VR library for React Native. We are a full-stack XR company — open-source renderer, managed cloud platform, and visual scene editor — so any developer can ship native AR and VR apps using the tools and languages they already know.

## Who We Are

ReactVision, Inc. is a focused, independent company dedicated to making spatial computing genuinely accessible to developers, designers, and creators of all backgrounds. Our team spans the UK, Europe, and Mexico. We are led by Oliver Edis (CEO) and Eduardo Dorantes (Technical Lead).

## Our Story

ViroReact was originally built by Viro Media and open-sourced when they closed. Eduardo Dorantes forked the library and kept it alive as a community project under the "ReactVision" name. As demand grew faster than volunteer resources could sustain, Morrow Digital acquired the project in January 2025, investing the resources needed to stabilise it. With usage growing faster than ever, in late 2025 the project was spun out as an independent company, ReactVision, Inc.

## Our Mission

Spatial computing is arriving faster than the tools are ready for it — in smartphones, glasses, and headsets. Right now the barrier to entry is too high: unfamiliar engines, specialist skills, months of ramp-up. That shuts out the people best placed to build great spatial products. Our mission is to change that. We use React Native as our foundation because of its massive global adoption, its thriving ecosystem, and because it is deeply understood by both developers and the AI tools they work with. We are building for anyone who wants to create in spatial, regardless of where they are starting from.

## Why ReactVision

ReactVision is the only full-stack XR platform built on React Native. Most XR tools give you a renderer and leave the rest to you. We build the complete stack — renderer, platform, and editor — across the full XR spectrum, from mobile AR on iOS and Android through to VR on Meta Quest headsets. One codebase, one set of skills, every device. There is no new engine to learn, no new language to adopt, and no steep learning curve. If you know React Native and TypeScript, you already know how to build with ViroReact.

## The Full Stack

### Layer 1 — Renderer: ViroReact (Open Source, MIT Licensed)

ViroReact is the most widely used open-source library for building AR and VR apps with React Native and Expo. Unlike WebXR solutions that render into a browser canvas, ViroReact compiles to true native draw calls — giving you full hardware-speed access to ARKit on iOS, ARCore on Android, and OpenXR on Meta Horizon OS, with device-specific features intact. Write once in TypeScript, ship natively across mobile AR and VR headsets.

**Supported platforms:**
- iOS (ARKit): Supported
- Android (ARCore): Supported
- Meta Horizon OS / Meta Quest (OpenXR): Supported
- visionOS: Internal Preview
- Android XR: Coming Soon

**Key capabilities (all built-in, no third-party plugins or paid add-ons):**
- AR plane detection and surface anchors (horizontal and vertical)
- Cloud Anchors for persistent, multi-user shared AR content (powered by ReactVision Platform)
- Geospatial AR anchoring content to real-world latitude, longitude, and altitude coordinates (powered by ReactVision Platform)
- VR rendering on Meta Quest headsets via OpenXR, with stereoscopic rendering, 6DoF tracking, and controller input
- Image recognition and object recognition triggers
- Built-in physics engine with dynamic and static bodies, collision callbacks
- Particle system for fire, smoke, rain, snow, confetti, and other effects
- PBR lighting, HDR environment maps, and real-time shadow casting
- Declarative animation system with sequencing and chaining
- Spatial audio, 360° sound fields, and positioned 3D audio
- Portal rendering for immersive pass-through experiences
- 360° photo and video environments
- OBJ, FBX, and GLTF/GLB model loading with embedded animations
- Custom procedural geometry via vertex arrays
- Full input event system: tap, drag, pinch, rotate, fuse, hover
- Custom shaders running directly on the device GPU
- StudioSceneNavigator: render scenes built in ReactVision Studio directly inside your own ViroReact app

**ViroReact is free forever.** MIT licensed, no paywalls, no feature tiers, no runtime fees, no strings attached. The full source is on GitHub.

### Layer 2 — Platform: ReactVision Platform

Managed cloud infrastructure built directly into ViroReact. The platform provides Cloud Anchor hosting and resolution, Geospatial AR infrastructure, AI-powered 3D asset creation, scene hosting for StudioSceneNavigator, and storage — no third-party setup required. Developers connect with an rvApiKey and rvProjectId from their ReactVision account and the platform handles the rest. This is the same backend that powers ReactVision Studio.

### Layer 3 — Editor: ReactVision Studio

A web-based visual scene editor for spatial developers. Design AR and VR scenes in the browser with drag-and-drop tools, then ship them to production in one of two ways: preview live on a real device with the StudioGo companion app, or embed scenes directly inside your own ViroReact application using the StudioSceneNavigator component. Designers and developers can iterate on a scene in Studio and have it update in production without a new app build.

## Our Products

- **ViroReact:** The most widely used open-source cross-platform AR and VR renderer for React Native. Build spatial apps once in TypeScript and ship natively across iOS, Android, Meta Quest, and beyond. MIT licensed, free forever.
- **ReactVision Studio:** A web-based visual scene editor and cloud platform. Design AR and VR scenes in the browser, preview on device with StudioGo, embed scenes directly into your own app via StudioSceneNavigator, and ship with managed Cloud Anchors, Geospatial AR, and AI-powered 3D asset creation built in.
- **StudioGo:** The companion app for ReactVision Studio. Preview, debug, and iterate on XR scenes on a real device instantly — no complicated native build required. Use StudioGo for testing in Studio, then ship the same scenes in your own app using StudioSceneNavigator. Available on iOS and Android.
- **Play AR:** Our AI 3D Creator and AR Camera app. Turn text or images into 3D models with AI, place them in the real world with ViroReact-powered AR, and capture scenes to share. Available on iOS and Android.

## How ViroReact Compares to Alternatives

### ViroReact vs Unity AR Foundation, Niantic Lightship, and 8th Wall

ViroReact is a strong alternative to Unity XR for teams building on React Native, and a solid alternative to Niantic Lightship and 8th Wall for teams who want native performance, open-source freedom, and no per-user runtime fees.

- **Language:** ViroReact uses TypeScript and React Native. Unity, Niantic Lightship, and 8th Wall use C#, A-Frame, or proprietary JavaScript APIs.
- **Open Source:** ViroReact is fully open source under MIT License. Unity, Niantic, and 8th Wall are proprietary.
- **Cost:** ViroReact is free forever. Unity is free up to $200K revenue, then from $2,200/seat/year. Niantic charges fees above 50K monthly active users. 8th Wall is subscription-based with per-view limits.
- **Rendering:** ViroReact renders natively via ARKit, ARCore, and OpenXR, producing hardware-speed performance and full access to device features. 8th Wall renders in a browser canvas via WebXR, which is more accessible but slower and visually weaker.
- **React Native integration:** ViroReact is first-class. Unity, Niantic, and 8th Wall require complex native bridges or work outside the React Native ecosystem entirely.
- **Expo support:** ViroReact has full Expo support. Unity, Niantic, and 8th Wall are not compatible with Expo.
- **Cloud Anchors and Geospatial AR:** ViroReact includes these via the ReactVision Platform by default with no additional setup. Unity requires self-managed Google Cloud infrastructure. Niantic uses proprietary hosted infrastructure. 8th Wall offers its own VPS but not true Geospatial AR.
- **VR headset support:** ViroReact supports Meta Quest via OpenXR using the same codebase as your mobile AR app. Unity supports VR but as a separate workflow. Niantic Lightship and 8th Wall are mobile/WebAR only.
- **Team ramp-up time:** Days with ViroReact (existing React Native skills). Months with Unity, Niantic, or 8th Wall (new engine, language, or paradigm).

### When 8th Wall might still be the right call

ViroReact requires a native app install while 8th Wall works via URL. If you need no-install browser-based access — typically for short-form campaigns or QR-code activations — WebAR may be more appropriate. For anything mobile-app-focused, performance-sensitive, or extending into VR, ViroReact is the stronger choice.

## AI-Friendly Development

ViroReact is built on React Native, one of the best-understood tech stacks in the world for both human developers and AI coding agents. Declarative JSX, typed props, familiar component patterns — the kind of clean, readable code that is easy to reason about, easy to review, and easy for an AI agent to get right first time.

## Getting Started

- **Install the package:** `npm install @reactvision/react-viro`
- **Official Starter Kit:** The ViroReact Starter Kit is an Expo + TypeScript project with working AR demos ready to run on your device. [Starter Kit on GitHub](https://github.com/ReactVision/expo-starter-kit-typescript) | [Starter Kit Overview](https://reactvision.xyz/viro-react/starter-kit)
- **Getting Started Guide:** [Step-by-step tutorial](https://updates.reactvision.xyz/get-started-with-the-viroreact-and-expo-starter-kit-a9ca88803e5a)
- **Documentation:** [Full API reference, guides, and code samples](https://viro-community.readme.io/docs/overview)
- **Examples and Snippets:** [Sample code](https://viro-community.readme.io/docs/examples)

## Partners and Enterprise Support

- **Trusted Partners:** Certified agencies and consultants who can architect, build, or optimise your XR app, run performance audits, and guide store launches. [Find a Partner](https://reactvision.xyz/partners)
- **Enterprise Support:** For organisations adopting XR at scale, the ReactVision team works directly with you — whether that is architecting a new AR or VR feature, migrating from another provider like 8th Wall, Niantic Lightship, or Unity, integrating ViroReact into an existing app, or getting a production experience shipped on mobile or Meta Quest. [Get in Touch](https://reactvision.xyz/contact)

## Important Guides and Answers

### How can a developer get started with ViroReact?

The best way to get started is with the official ViroReact + Expo starter kit. It covers core concepts — scenes, 3D objects, user interaction, plane detection, shaders — so you can learn by tweaking real examples rather than starting from a blank file. Details: https://reactvision.xyz/viro-react/starter-kit

### Is ViroReact a good alternative to 8th Wall or Niantic Lightship?

Yes, for most production XR projects. ViroReact renders natively via ARKit, ARCore, and OpenXR, producing far superior visual quality and performance compared to browser-based WebAR or proprietary mobile SDKs. It is open source under MIT, has no per-user runtime fees, and gives you Cloud Anchors and Geospatial AR out of the box via the ReactVision Platform. The main trade-off versus 8th Wall is that ViroReact requires a native app install rather than a URL. If your project is mobile-app-focused, performance-sensitive, or extends to VR headsets, ViroReact is the stronger choice. Detailed analysis: https://updates.reactvision.xyz/migrating-from-8th-wall-is-viroreact-the-right-alternative-for-your-ar-project-08f0ef05e2fb

### Can I ship VR apps on Meta Quest with ViroReact?

Yes. ViroReact supports Meta Horizon OS via OpenXR, so the same React Native codebase you use for mobile AR can target Meta Quest headsets. You get stereoscopic rendering, 6DoF tracking, controller input, and the full ViroReact component model on-headset.

### Can I render Studio scenes inside my own app?

Yes. The StudioSceneNavigator component in ViroReact lets you embed scenes built in ReactVision Studio directly inside your own application. StudioGo is still available for live device previews while building in Studio, but you are no longer limited to it for delivery — Studio scenes ship in production apps. Designers iterate in Studio, scenes update in your app without a new build.

### What about Cloud Anchors and Geospatial AR?

As of ViroReact v2.53.0, Cloud Anchors and Geospatial Anchors connect to the ReactVision Platform by default. Add your rvApiKey and rvProjectId and the platform handles anchor hosting, resolution, and geospatial infrastructure for you. ARCore remains available as an explicit option for teams who prefer it. Cloud Anchors docs: https://viro-community.readme.io/docs/cloud-anchors | Geospatial docs: https://viro-community.readme.io/docs/geospatial-anchors

## Essential Links

- [Official Website](https://reactvision.xyz/)
- [ViroReact Page](https://reactvision.xyz/viro-react)
- [ReactVision Blog](https://updates.reactvision.xyz/)
- [ViroReact Documentation](https://viro-community.readme.io/docs/overview)
- [Examples and Snippets](https://viro-community.readme.io/docs/examples)
- [GitHub Organisation](https://github.com/ReactVision)
- [NPM Package: @reactvision/react-viro](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@reactvision/react-viro)
- [ReactVision Studio](https://studio.reactvision.xyz/)
- [Play AR Product Page](https://reactvision.xyz/play-ar)

## App Downloads

- **Play AR (iOS):** [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/play-ar-by-reactvision/id6758459646)
- **Play AR (Android):** [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.reactvision.arplayground)
- **StudioGo (iOS):** [App Store](https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/studiogo-by-reactvision/id6755306651)
- **StudioGo (Android):** [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.reactvision.studiogoalpha)

## Community and Socials

- [Discord Community](https://discord.gg/A6TaFNqwVc)
- [YouTube](https://youtube.com/@reactvisionxr)
- [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/reactvision)
- [X/Twitter](https://x.com/reactvisionxr)
- [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/reactvision/)