You can interact with Flock XR in VR using VR controllers or, on supported headsets, hand tracking.
VR controllers are mapped to the same controls you already use on a keyboard. This means a project you have built to respond to keyboard controls can work with VR controllers without changing your code.
Hand tracking lets you put the controllers down and interact directly with buttons, panels and objects using your hands.
Use VR controllers
The controller buttons and thumbsticks have equivalents to the keyboard controls used in Flock XR.
| VR control | Action | Keyboard equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Left thumbstick | Move forward, back, left or right | W, S, A, D |
| Right thumbstick left/right | Turn 30° | — |
| Left Y | Button 1 | R or 1 |
| Right B | Button 2 | E or 2 |
| Left X | Button 3 | F or 3 |
| Right A | Button 4 | Space or 4 |
This means you can create interactions that work across different devices.
For example, if your project uses when key pressed to make something happen when the player presses Space, the same action can be triggered using Button 4 (A) on a VR controller.
You don’t need a separate set of blocks just for VR.
Move with the thumbsticks
The left thumbstick can be used for movement.
In most modes, the thumbstick maps to the same controls as W, S, A and D on a keyboard. This means it can trigger the blocks you have already created for those keys.
Flock XR only takes control of the thumbstick when Flock XR itself needs to control the player’s movement, such as when you are teleporting.
Turn in VR
Push the right thumbstick left or right to turn.
Rather than spinning continuously, you turn in 30° steps. Each push of the stick makes one turn.
This is called snap turning.
A quick snap is completed before your eyes experience it as continuous movement. This can make turning in VR more comfortable than watching the world smoothly rotate around you when your body has not actually turned.
What happens when you turn also depends on how you are experiencing the character.
In watch view, you swing around the character so that the character stays in front of you.
In embody view, you turn on the spot.
👉 Watch or embody a character in VR
Choose your direction when teleporting
If you are using teleport movement, turning works slightly differently.
Point at a teleport target and the teleport circle appears.
Keep the thumbstick held to the side and the arrow on the circle turns.
The arrow shows which direction you will be facing when you arrive.
This lets you choose both where you want to go and which way you want to face before you teleport.
Fly around a VR world
You can also fly around a scene in VR.
When you are using smooth motion and are not following an object, the left thumbstick moves you through the world.
Use:
- Left Y to move up
- Left X to move down
While you are flying, these two buttons are being used to control your height, so they do not trigger their normal Button 1 and Button 3 actions.
Use your hands instead of controllers
Some VR headsets support hand tracking.
For example, on a Meta Quest you can put the controllers down and use your hands to interact with your Flock XR project instead.
Your hands appear in the VR scene.
You can point at something and pinch your finger and thumb together to click it, or reach out and touch a panel directly with your fingertip.
You can use your hands to:
- Press buttons
- Drag sliders
- Use interface panels
- Click objects in your world
If you are using the wrist UI, the panel follows your left hand so that you can bring it into view when you need it.
What can’t you do with hand tracking?
Hand tracking can replace pointing, clicking and touching, but it cannot replace controls that need a thumbstick or controller button.
You still need controllers to:
- Move using the thumbstick
- Snap turn
- Teleport
- Fly
- Use Button 1, 2, 3 or 4 actions
If your project relies on movement or uses when key pressed blocks for player interactions, ask players to use their controllers.
When does hand tracking work well?
Some experiences don’t need controller movement at all.
Hand tracking can work particularly well for projects where the player stays in one place and interacts with the world around them.
For example:
- An animated scene that plays around the viewer
- A story controlled using buttons
- A project with clickable objects
- An experience controlled through panels and sliders
Projects that you watch and interact with, rather than drive around using controls, can work particularly well with hands alone.
Design for different ways to play
You don’t necessarily need to create separate projects for keyboard, VR controllers and hand tracking.
A project controlled using keyboard keys can automatically gain controller support through Flock XR’s controller mappings.
If you also provide buttons or clickable objects for important interactions, you can make more of your experience accessible to people using hand tracking.
Think about how you want someone to experience your project, then choose interactions that suit the devices and movement options they will be using.