React 360 vs React VR: What are the differences?

React 360 and React VR are both JavaScript libraries used to create virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences. While they share similar goals, there are key differences between the two that developers should consider. Below are six specific differences between React 360 and React VR.

1. Rendering Platform: React 360 is designed to work primarily on web browsers, providing a cross-platform solution for VR and AR applications. On the other hand, React VR enables developers to build immersive experiences not only for browsers but also for native VR platforms like Oculus, Vive, and Daydream.

2. Component Hierarchy: React 360 uses a custom component hierarchy where UI elements are built using React-like components. It follows a top-down approach where each component is responsible for rendering and managing its own state. In contrast, React VR uses a scene-based hierarchy, where the scene represents the whole VR world and components are placed within it.

3. Hot Reload Support: React 360 offers hot reload support, allowing developers to see changes in real-time without having to restart the application. React VR, however, does not provide hot reload functionality out of the box. Developers need to manually refresh the application to see the changes made during development.

4. Tracked Pose System: React 360 comes with a built-in tracked pose system that provides support for head tracking, controller pose, and other user movements. This system simplifies the development of interactive VR experiences by abstracting the raw input data. In React VR, this functionality is not readily available and developers need to implement their own solutions for handling user input and movements.

5. Native Module Support: React 360 has limited native module support, which means that developers cannot easily integrate native code functionalities into their VR experiences. React VR, on the other hand, provides full access to native modules, allowing developers to leverage the functionalities provided by the underlying VR platforms.

6. Development Environment: React 360 offers a browser-based development environment called React Native Packager, which is easy to set up and use. React VR, on the other hand, requires additional setup and configuration to run on native VR platforms. This makes the development process for React VR more complex compared to React 360.

In summary, React 360 is a cross-platform solution primarily focused on web browsers, while React VR offers native support for various VR platforms. React 360 has a custom component hierarchy and provides hot reload support, while React VR uses a scene-based hierarchy and lacks in-built hot reload functionality. Additionally, React 360 comes with a built-in tracked pose system and has limited native module support, whereas React VR allows for full access to native modules but requires more setup for development.