The PC version of VRChat now supports native hand tracking via the SteamVR Skeletal Input system.
The standalone VRChat app in the Quest Store supports hand tracking since the end of 2022. But of course, the best way to experience VRChat is on a gaming PC. You’ll see higher-quality versions of most avatars and worlds, and get access to PC-only avatars and worlds that go far beyond what’s possible on mobile.
The latest version of VRChat now also lets you use hand tracking on your PC, including the finger gesture system originally designed for Quest.
Previously, it was possible to use hand tracking to emulate Valve Index controllers on PC, but this did not offer full finger articulation.
VRChat does not yet use OpenXR. In order to use hand tracking on a PC, you will need software that supports passing hand tracking to SteamVR Skeletal Input.
If you have a Meta Quest headset, you can do this with the latest beta version of Virtual desktop. If you have an Apple Vision Pro, you can ALVR. Or with any native PC VR headset you can use the open-source SteamVR Driver for the Leap Motion 2 Add-on.
Please note: Guy Godin, developer of Virtual Desktop, tells UploadVR that the current support for his app is still an experimental beta version, still in development, and that he doesn't feel the support is stable enough for general use yet.
VRChat on PC getting this hand tracking support should allow for a significant leap in expressiveness and even extend the range of sign language signs can be signed. Combined with the support of the platform for eye movementfacial recognition and body registrationVRChat can now (at least in beta) provide a deeper sense of social presence than virtually any other publicly available technology.