What is viro?

Viro React is a framework that lets you build augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) apps using React Native, the same JavaScript-based tool developers use to build regular mobile apps. The big advantage: write your code once, and it works on iOS, Android, and multiple VR platforms like Google Cardboard and Samsung Gear VR without having to rewrite it for each platform. At its core, Viro React takes the React code you write and runs it natively on each device's AR or VR system. On the AR side, it taps into Apple's ARKit (for iPhones) and Google's ARCore (for Android) to let you place and manipulate 3D objects in the real world through your phone's camera. On the VR side, it works with mobile VR headsets to create immersive 360-degree environments. The README includes several sample projects, like placing a car in your living room that you can drive around, showing a beating heart in 3D that you can walk around, or displaying a 360-degree photo tour with clickable hotspots, to show what's possible. Who would use this? Developers building AR experiences for shopping apps, real-estate tours, or interactive games. VR developers creating immersive media players or product showcases. Anyone who wants to launch an AR or VR app on both iPhone and Android without maintaining two separate codebases. The project even includes a complete open-source AR app called Figment AR that's been published to the App Store and Google Play, showing it's production-ready. One practical detail: you can test your work in real-time using the Viro Media App (a testbed) before deploying as a standalone app. The project is free to use with no limits on how many people download your app. The README notes that active development has moved to a community fork, so new users should follow that for the latest updates.