files/en-us/web/api/vrlayerinit/index.md
{{APIRef("WebVR API")}}{{Deprecated_Header}}{{Non-standard_Header}}
The VRLayerInit dictionary of the WebVR API represents a content layer (an {{domxref("HTMLCanvasElement")}} or {{domxref("OffscreenCanvas")}}) that you want to present in a VR display.
[!NOTE] This dictionary was part of the old WebVR API. It has been superseded by the WebXR Device API.
You can retrieve VRLayerInit objects using {{domxref("VRDisplay.getLayers()")}}, and present them using the {{domxref("VRDisplay.requestPresent()")}} method.
// currently returns an empty array
let layers = vrDisplay.getLayers();
if (navigator.getVRDisplays) {
console.log("WebVR 1.1 supported");
// Then get the displays attached to the computer
navigator.getVRDisplays().then((displays) => {
// If a display is available, use it to present the scene
if (displays.length > 0) {
vrDisplay = displays[0];
console.log("Display found");
// Starting the presentation when the button is clicked: It can only be called in response to a user gesture
btn.addEventListener("click", () => {
vrDisplay.requestPresent([{ source: canvas }]).then(() => {
console.log("Presenting to WebVR display");
// Here it returns an array of VRLayerInit objects
layers = vrDisplay.getLayers();
// …
});
});
}
});
}
VRLayerInit objects look something like this:
const init = {
leftBounds: [
/* … */
],
rightBounds: [
/* … */
],
source: canvasReference,
};
[!NOTE] The
canvasReferencerefers to the {{htmlelement("canvas")}} element itself, not the WebGL context associated with the canvas. The other two members are arrays
This dictionary was part of the old WebVR API that has been superseded by the WebXR Device API. It is no longer on track to becoming a standard.
Until all browsers have implemented the new WebXR APIs, it is recommended to rely on frameworks, like A-Frame, Babylon.js, or Three.js, or a polyfill, to develop WebXR applications that will work across all browsers. Read Meta's Porting from WebVR to WebXR guide for more information.
{{Compat}}