Hi Inga, ChimeraX VR and LookSee, our standalone molecular VR app, won't work with Apple Vision Pro. Unfortunately Apple did their usual and created their own proprietary system VisionOS for applications to use the headset instead of the established community standard OpenXR which is used by every other VR headset. ChimeraX VR uses OpenXR. It would be a major effort to port it to VisionOS, and we don't plan on doing that. There are a number of interesting newer VR headsets out or soon to be out that use OpenXR that you might be interested in. Two are light weight tethered headsets, about 1/3 the weight of the Vive Pro, with higher resolution screens: Big Screen Beyond 2 and MeganeX Superlight 8K https://www.bigscreenvr.com/ https://en.shiftall.net/products/meganex8k I have not tried either of these. I expect they will work fine with ChimeraX. Their main drawback is they use a tether to a Windows PC and SteamVR base stations for tracking. That is really old technology at this point where most VR headsets use wifi and headset camera tracking. Also neither of these two have pass-through video. These two options focus on light weight, comfort, and high resolution, at the expense of portability and need for a Windows PC. A new option announced a few weeks ago is Steam Frame from Valve, supposed to be released early in 2026, similar to Quest 3, using wifi for PC apps like ChimeraX and inside-out tracking (no basestations). It is an alternative to using Meta headsets with their closed software distribution eco-system which is difficult for free open-source software to interact with. (I have failed in the last 3 years in my attempt to put our LookSee molecular VR app on the Meta store and there is no reasonable alternative to distribute it.) https://store.steampowered.com/sale/steamframe In terms of headsets available now, I think Quest 3 is the best choice for molecular visualization. While the lightweight options are interesting they require a dedicated room with base stations and finicky setup restricting use so much that I don't think they are a good option for university researchers. One other 3D technology, similar to VR, you may be interested are glasses-free 3D flat panel displays from Acer or Sony. Here is some testing I did with ChimeraX and the Sony. https://www.rbvi.ucsf.edu/chimerax/data/sony3d-mar2025/sony3d.html It works similarly with the Acer 3D display and Acer is less expensive. These have various limitations. They only work with the Windows operating system. They use eye tracking and only one person can see the molecules in 3D at a time. Tom
On Nov 21, 2025, at 3:06 AM, Wolf, Inga via ChimeraX-users <chimerax-users@cgl.ucsf.edu> wrote:
Dear Chimera X and Chimera developers,
I'm a staff member of the Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry near Munich, Germany.
At the moment we use Vive Pro virtual glasses to create a 3D picture of our biological structures that have extensions to be showed in Chimera X (.wrl, .mrc ...). Chimera X and the glasses can be connected.
Vive Pro is now 8 years old and we think of buying Apple Vision Pro glasses.
Can you please tell me if Chimera X or Chimera can talk to these glasses? Is there a possibility to see the structures in these glasses?
Thank you in advance for your answer.
Best regards, Inga Wolf
Inga Wolf Cell and Virus Structure John Briggs
<OutlookEmoji-1685544407897be384438-0f13-4d91-b443-680db85d40cf.png> MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE OF BIOCHEMISTRY
Am Klopferspitz 18 | 82152 Martinsried | Germany Phone: +49 (89) 8578 - 2634
iwolf@biochem.mpg.de <mailto:name@biochem.mpg.de> www.biochem.mpg.de/briggs <http://www.biochem.mpg.de/>
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