Software-based tools for access, assessment, and documentation of immersive media.
The software tools listed here support preservation activities for compiled, executable files or project files. Some are proprietary and require a license or developer account, and some are open source. Not all may be currently supported or compatible with your files or hardware.
| Tool | Purpose | Description | Link | Platforms | Open source? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Android Debug Bridge (adb)
Debugging, sideloading
Command line tool for debugging projects and sideloading content to Android-based hardware
Windows, Mac, Linux
Yes
Android Logcat
Debugging
Android Logcat Package is a utility for displaying log messages coming from Android device in Unity Editor
Unity 2019.1 or above
No
apitrace
Debugging
Tools for tracing OpenGL, Direct3D, and other graphics APIs
Windows
Yes
Ardour
DAW
Opensource Digital Audio workstation ; ambisonic and binaural plugins avalaible
Linux, Mac, Windows
Yes
Blender
3D
Opensource 3D suite and more
Linux, Mac, Windows
Yes
FRAPS
Video Recording; Monitoring / Metrics
Screen recording and frame rate monitoring tool (DirectX, OpenGL)
Windows XP, 2003, Vista, and Windows 7
Free, not open source
NVIDIA Ansel
360° images
Capture 360° still images
Unreal Engine 4, Unity 5
Requires account on developer.nvidia.com to access SDK
Intel Graphics Performance Analyzers
Graphics Analysis
Command line and scripting interface to expose capture and playback functionalities
Windows, Ubuntu
Free, not open source
iVRY
Hardware Emulator
Use iPhone 6+, Android 4.4+ to view Valve OpenVR/SteamVR content for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift on Windows 7+
Windows
No
libsurvive
Driver / Library
Open-source tracking library for Valve's Lighthouse and Vive tracking systems
Windows, Debian
Yes
monado
XR runtime
Runtime for VR and AR on mobile, PC/desktop, and HMDs (OpenXR API)
GNU/Linux
Yes
LIV
Video recording
Live capture and streaming of user interactions
Windows / SteamVR
No
Microsoft Hololens Emulator
Hardware Emulator
Test Hololens apps on PC, use mouse/keyboard inputs instead of controllers without code adaptation
Windows
Free, not open source
NVIDIA GeForce ShadowPlay
Video recording
Screen capture in real-time 3D applications (not 360°)
Windows, NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards
Free, not open source
Oculus 360 Capture SDK
Video Recording
360° video recording in real-time 3D applications
Unity, Unreal, NVIDIA and AMD GPUs
Free, not open source
vr5kplayer
Video Recording
Create and play a view-dependent version of a 5K x 5K 360 degree stereo video on Oculus mobile VR systems.
Oculus Go or Samsung S8 (and later) Gear VR systems.
Free, not open source
Oculus Compositor Mirror tool
Monitoring, Documentation
Displays the content that appears within the Rift headset on a computer monitor. It has several display options that are useful for development, troubleshooting, and presentations.
Windows, Oculus Rift
Free, not open source
Oculus HMD head motion emulation
Hardware Emulator
Simulate the movement of a user directly in the Unity Editor
Windows, Unity, Quest, Rift
Free, not open source
Open Broadcaster Software
Video Recording
Combine multiple computer sources in custom layout, with switching
Windows, Mac, Linux
Yes
Open VR Recorder
Tracking/Input Data Recording
Record tracking data from devices with drivers for OpenVR / SteamVR.
OpenVR, SteamVR; HTC Vive, Oculus Rift VR systems
Trial 10 seconds recording; $125 license
Open XR Conformance spec
Conformance tool
Command line interface conformance test suite for OpenXR
Yes
OpenComposite
Compatibility Layer
Play SteamVR games without SteamVR
Yes
ReVive
Compatibility Layer
Compatibility layer between the Oculus SDK and OpenVR/OpenXR
Yes
OpenHMD
Reverse engineering
Distortion Maps for headsets
Yes
OVR Metrics Tool
Monitoring / Metrics
Generates performance metrics for applications running on Oculus mobile devices
Unreal, Unity, Quest
Free, not open source
Radeon GPU Analyzer
Graphics Analysis
Performance analysis tool for DirectX, Vulkan, SPIR-V, OpenGL, and OpenCL
Windows, Linux
Yes
Radeon Software Adrenaline 2020 Edition (ReLive 2019)
Video Recording
Screen capture for AMD Radeon graphics cards
Windows, DirectX, Vulkan
Free, not open source
RenderDoc
Debugging
General purpose graphics debugger
Windows
Yes
RenderDoc for Oculus
Debugging
Branch of the RenderDoc project by Oculus for debugging the Oculus Quest
Unreal, Unity, Quest
Free, not open source
RivaTuner Statistics Server
Monitoring
Framerate monitoring, On-Screen Display and high-performance video capture service
Windows
Free, not open source
SideQuest
Sideload utility
Sideload content to Oculus Quest
Windows, Mac, Linux, Android
Free, not open source
Sites in VR
Calibration
Mobile calibration tool
Spatial Media Metadata Injector
MetaData
360° video metadata injector
MacOS, Windows
open source
Steam VR Mirror Mode
Monitoring, Documentation
Enables you to see what the user sees in the HMD for SteamVR content
Unreal, SteamVR Tools
Free, not open source
Surreal Capture
Video Recording
360° video recording in real-time 3D applications
Windows
No, paid license ($179.95) or 15-day trial
Unity Recorder Package
Recording
Capture and save data during play mode
Unity Editor
Included in Unity
Unity Stereo 360 Image and Video Capture
Recording
Renders the camera view for each eye; requires additional code and software settings
Unity 2018.1+
Included in Unity
Unreal nDisplay
Monitoring, Documentation
Renders a scene on multitple synchronized displays
Unreal Engine
Included in Unreal
Unreal Panoramic Capture
Video export
Exports 360° still images or frames that can be compiled into video with Adobe AfterEffects
Unreal Engine
Plugin for Unreal
Unreal Replay System
Recording
Console tool for recording and playback of game play
Unreal Engine
Unreal Engine 4 feature
Unreal VR Spectator Screen
Recording
View content from third-person perspective
HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Steam VR, PlayStation VR (PS VR)
Unreal Engine 4 feature