Open source XR runtime Monado 25.1.0 released with expanded hardware support

Monado is an impressive open source XR runtime that aims to support a whole lot of hardware, with a focus on great Linux support and version 25.1.0 is out now. If you're a true XR enthusiast this is one for you to check out, as you might see some hardware you have working quite well with it.

What's new in this release? Quite a lot! Highlights courtesy of Collabora:

Hand-tracking enhancements

This release introduces support for the XR_EXT_hand_tracking_data_source extension, enabling Monado to distinguish between unobstructed and conforming hand-tracking modes, an important step for better controller-aware tracking and more robust multi-source input. Alongside this work, several drivers were updated to leverage the new roles, and long-standing quirks in hand-pose selection and orientation were fixed.

Asynchronous OpenXR calls

Another major milestone is the introduction of Monado's xrt_future system and support for the XR_EXT_future extension. This new async plumbing code prepares Monado for the next generation of OpenXR features that rely on asynchronous operations.

More device support

Device support also expands significantly in this release with new drivers for the Blubur S1, Rift DK2, and SolarXR IPC, plus improvements for the Razer Hydra, Vive Pro 2, Xreal Air 2 Ultra, and Fujitsu headset. The compositor sees important enhancements as well, including per-scanline timewarp for rolling-scanout displays and more robust swapchain setup. On Android, users can now scan and store Cardboard calibration QR codes directly from the Monado main application page.

Overall, Monado 25.1.0 focuses on improving reliability, modernizing internal infrastructure, and broadening hardware compatibility. All these enhancements continue the project’s mission to make open XR technology more capable, flexible, and widely accessible.

See more in the Collabora blog post, and the release notes.

I'll admit I haven't actually tried anything with Monado yet, but from previous comments on GamingOnLinux, you could see a good experience with it. Hopefully Valve will continue to improve SteamVR directly on Linux too, especially with the upcoming Steam Frame that uses SteamOS.