On this Page
Use the Platform VoIP service to add voice chat to your app.
The VoIP service transmits PCM (pulse-code modulation) data between users that the Platform SDK decodes to audio.
VoIP is peer-to-peer so your app will be limited by bandwidth in most cases. In general, the VoIP service becomes unstable if you have 12, or more, connections. We recommend no more than 8 connections on Rift and 4 on mobile apps. You may be able to support more if you use push to talk or some proximity-type muting.
To integrate Application VoIP in your Native application, follow the steps below. The methods can be called from your client app. Detail about each function can be found in the Platform SDK Reference Content.
Native - ovr_Voip_Start()
Unity - Platform.Voip.Start()
Initiate a VoIP connection request with a specified user.
Native - ovr_Voip_Accept()
Unity - Platform.Voip.Accept()
Accept a VoIP connection request.
Native - ovr_Voip_GetOutputBufferMaxSize()
Unity - Platform.Voip.GetOutputBufferMaxSize()
Retrieve the size of the internal ringbuffer used by the VoIP system in elements. This size is the maximum number of elements that can ever be returned by ovr_Voip_GetPCM or ovr_Voip_GetPCMFloat.
Native - ovr_Voip_GetPCM()
Unity - Platform.Voip.GetPCM()
Retrieve all available samples of voice data from a specified user and copy them into the outputBuffer. The VoIP system will generate data at roughly the rate of 480 samples per 10ms. This function should be called every frame with 50ms (2400 elements) of buffer size to account for frame rate variations. The data format is 16 bit fixed point 48khz mono.
Native - ovr_Voip_GetPCMFloat()
Unity - Platform.Voip.GetPCMFloat()
Retrieve all available samples of voice data from a specified user and copy them into the outputBuffer The VoIP system will generate data at roughly the rate of 480 samples per 10ms. This function should be called every frame with 50ms (2400 elements) of buffer size to account for frame rate variations. The data format is 32 bit floating point 48khz mono.
We do not recommend using floating point unless necessary. This operation requires additional resources when compared to the integer based process.
Native - ovr_Voip_GetPCMSize()
Unity - Platform.Voip.GetPCMSize()
Retrieve the current number of audio samples available to read from a specified user. This function is inherently racy, it’s possible that data can be added between a call to this function and a subsequent call to ovr_Voip_GetPCM or ovr_Voip_GetPCMFloat.
Native - ovr_Voip_GetPCMWithTimestamp()
Unity - Platform.Voip.GetPCMWithTimestamp()
Like ovr_Voip_GetPCM, this function copies available audio samples from a specified user into a buffer. Along with the audio samples, this function also stores the timestamp of the first sample in the output parameter timestamp. This timestamp can be used for synchronization, see ovr_Voip_GetSyncTimestamp for more details. The data format is 16 bit fixed point 48khz mono.
This function may return data early, even if there’s more data available, to keep the batch of audio samples returned with a single timestamp small. For example, if 30ms worth of audio is in the buffer, this function may return 480 samples (10ms) each time it’s called. Therefore, it’s recommended to call this as long as there’s data in the buffer (i.e. the function returns a non-zero result).
Native - ovr_Voip_GetPCMWithTimestampFloat()
Unity - Platform.Voip.GetPCMWithTimestampFloat()
Like ovr_Voip_GetPCMFloat, this function copies available audio samples from a specified user into a buffer. Along with the audio samples, this function also stores the timestamp of the first sample in the output parameter timestamp. This timestamp can be used for synchronization, see ovr_Voip_GetSyncTimestamp for more details. The data format is 32 bit floating point 48khz mono.
This function may return data early, even if there’s more data available, in order to keep the batch of audio samples with a single timestamp small. For example, if there’s 30ms worth of audio in the buffer, this function may return 480 samples (10ms) each time it’s called. Therefore, it’s recommended to call this as long as there’s data in the buffer (i.e. the function returns a non-zero result).
We do not recommend using floating point unless necessary. This operation requires additional resources when compared to the integer based process.
Native - ovr_Voip_GetSyncTimestamp()
Unity - Platform.Voip.GetSyncTimestamp()
Returns a timestamp used for synchronizing audio samples sent to the user with an external data stream.
Timestamps associated with audio frames are implicitly transmitted to remote peers; on the receiving side, they can be obtained by using ovr_Voip_GetPCMWithTimestamp. ovr_Voip_GetSyncTimestamp is used to fetch those timestamps on the sending side. An application can insert the value returned by this function into each data packet and compare it to the value returned by GetPCMWithTimestamp on the receiving side to determine the ordering of two events (sampling audio and composing a data packet).
Note: The timestamp is generated by an unspecified clock and won’t represent wall-clock time. Use ovr_Voip_GetSyncTimestampDifference to determine the difference between two timestamps in microseconds.This function assumes that a voice connection to the user already exists; it returns 0 if that isn’t the case.
Native - ovr_Voip_GetSyncTimestampDifference()
Unity - Platform.Voip.GetSyncTimestampDifference()
Retrieve the calculated difference between two sync timestamps, in microseconds. returned by ovr_Voip_GetSyncTimestamp, ovr_Voip_GetPCMWithTimestamp, or ovr_Voip_GetPCMWithTimestampFloat.
Return value will be negative if lhs is smaller than rhs, zero if both timestamps are the same, and positive otherwise. The absolute value of the result is the time in microseconds between the two sync timestamps.
Native - ovr_Voip_GetSystemVoipMicrophoneMuted()
Unity - Platform.Voip.GetSystemVoipMicrophoneMuted()
Checks if the microphone has been muted.
Native - ovr_Voip_GetSystemVoipStatus()
Unity - Platform.Voip.GetSystemVoipStatus()
Retrieves the status of SystemVoIP. SystemVoIP is the service used by Oculus Parties. See the Parties page for information about potential SystemVoIP conflicts.
Native - ovr_Voip_SetMicrophoneFilterCallback()
Unity - Platform.Voip.SetMicrophoneFilterCallback()
Set a callback that will be called every time audio data is captured by the microphone. The callback function must match this format:
void filterCallback(int16_t pcmData[], size_t pcmDataLength, int frequency, int numChannels);
Note: If you are using Unity’s IL2CPP scripting backend, you need to add the
MonoPInvokeCallbackattribute to the callback method, like the following example:[MonoPInvokeCallback(typeof(CAPI.FilterCallback))] void filterCallback(int16_t pcmData[], size_t pcmDataLength, int frequency, int numChannels);
The pcmData param is used for both input and output. pcmDataLength is the size of pcmData in elements. numChannels will be 1 or 2. If numChannels is 2, then the channel data will be interleaved in pcmData. frequency is the input data sample rate in hertz.
Native - ovr_Voip_SetMicrophoneMuted()
Unity - Platform.Voip.SetMicrophoneMuted()
This function is used to enable or disable the local microphone. When muted, the microphone will not transmit any audio. VoIP connections are unaffected by this state. New connections can be established or closed whether the microphone is muted or not. This can be used to implement push-to-talk, or a local mute button. The default state is unmuted.
Native - ovr_Voip_SetOutputSampleRate()
Unity - Platform.Voip.SetOutputSampleRate()
Set the output sample rate. Audio data will be resampled as it is placed into the internal ringbuffer.
Native - ovr_Voip_Stop()
Unity - Platform.Voip.Stop()
End a VoIP session with a specified user. Note that a muting functionality should be used to temporarily stop sending audio; restarting a VoIP session after tearing it down may be an expensive operation.
You can optionally configure your app to use discontinuous transmission (DTX) and set the bit rate for VoIP connections.
DTX allows for temporary microphone muting when there’s no voice input. This improves efficiency because a person is usually talking less than half the time in a typical two-way conversation. This can conserve battery life and free up the channel. By default, DTX is disabled.
Setting the bit rate controls the network usage when transmitting on VoIP connections. The higher the bit rate, the better the audio quality, but more network resources are used. A lower bit rate will conserve network resources. By default, the bit rate is 32,000 bits per second.
Once these options have been configured, they apply only to new connections. Existing connections must be closed and reconnected for the new settings to be applied.
To configure these options in a Native application, follow these steps:
ovr_VoipOptions_Create.ovr_VoipOptions_SetCreateNewConnectionUseDtx and ovr_VoipOptions_SetBitrateForNewConnections.ovr_Voip_SetNewConnectionOptions.ovr_VoipOptions_Destroy.These functions are described below. Additional details about all functions can be found in the Platform SDK Reference Content.
An example flow of calls in a Native application would look like this:
ovrVoipOptionsHandle options = ovr_VoipOptions_Create(); ovr_VoipOptions_SetCreateNewConnectionUseDtx(options, ovrVoipDtxState_Enabled); ovr_VoipOptions_SetBitrateForNewConnections(options, ovrVoipBitrate_B64000); ovr_Voip_SetNewConnectionOptions(options); ovr_VoipOptions_Destroy(options);
Native - ovr_VoipOptions_Create()
Unity - var voipOptions = new VoipOptions()
Creates a handle used to set options.
Native - ovr_VoipOptions_SetCreateNewConnectionUseDtx()
Unity - voipOptions.SetCreateNewConnectionUseDtx()
Used to enable or disable DTX. Passing the options handle and a value of ovrVoipDtxState_Enabled enables DTX on all new VoIP connections. It does not apply to existing connections, which must be closed and then reconnected for DTX to be enabled. Passing the options handle and a value of ovrVoipDtxState_Disabled similarly disables DTX on all new connections.
In Unity, this is set to ovrVoipDtxState.Enabled or ovrVoipDtxState.Disabled.
By default, apps will have DTX disabled.
Native - ovr_VoipOptions_SetBitrateForNewConnections()
Unity - voipOptions.SetBitrateForNewConnections()
Used to set the bit rate on all new VoIP connections. The higher the bit rate, the better the audio quality, at the expense of network usage. It does not apply to existing connections, which must be closed and then reconnected for the new bit rate to take effect.
To change the bit rate, pass the options handle and one of the following values:
+ ovrVoipBitrate_B16000 + ovrVoipBitrate_B24000 + ovrVoipBitrate_B32000 (default) + ovrVoipBitrate_B64000 + ovrVoipBitrate_B96000 + ovrVoipBitrate_B128000
In Unity, these values are in the format of VoipBitrate.B32000.
Native - ovr_Voip_SetNewConnectionOptions()
Unity - Platform.Voip.SetNewConnectionOptions()
Enables the options set on all new connections.
Native - ovr_VoipOptions_Destroy()
Unity - Not necessary
Destroys the options handle. This is not necessary in Unity.
In addition, there are several functions related to these options.
Native - ovr_Voip_GetIsConnectionUsingDtx()
Unity - Platform.Voip.GetIsConnectionUsingDtx()
Checks if a connection is using DTX. If a connection exists and both sides have DTX enabled, this returns ovrVoipDtxState_Enabled (Unity: ovrVoipDtxState.Enabled). If a connection exists and only one or neither side has it enabled, this returns ovrVoipDtxState_Disabled (Unity: ovrVoipDtxState.Disabled). If there’s no existing connection, this returns ovrVoipDtxState_Unknown (Unity: ovrVoipDtxState.Unknown).
Native - ovr_Voip_GetRemoteBitrate()
Unity - Platform.Voip.GetRemoteBitrate()
Native - ovr_Voip_GetLocalBitrate()
Unity - Platform.Voip.GetLocalBitrate()
These functions return an ovrVoipBitrate value specifying the VoIP bit rate of the remote and local users respectively. The bit rates do not have to be the same. For example, if the remote bit rate is very high and the local bit rate is very low, the local user will hear high quality audio but send low quality audio. If there is no existing connection, this returns ovrVoipBitrate_Unknown (Unity: ovrVoipBitrate.Unknown).
This section will walk you through the basic process of implementing VoIP in your Unity app. Before integrating VoIP, please review the Parties page for information about potential conflicts with users who launch your app while participating in a party. Neglecting to do so will result in a poor user experience.
A complete example of a Unity app The general process of implementing VoIP is:
Voip.Accept from the user receiving the request. For example, to accept all incoming connections, you could use the following: Voip.SetVoipConnectRequestCallback((Message<NetworkingPeer> msg) => { Voip.Accept(msg.Data.ID); });Voip.SetVoipStateChangeCallback((Message<NetworkingPeer> msg) => { Debug.LogFormat("peer {0} is in state {1}", msg.Data.ID, msg.Data.State); });var audioSource = gameObject.AddComponent <VoipAudioSourceHiLevel>(); audioSource.senderID = remotePeer.ID;You can access the Unity AudioSource object from the VoipAudioSourceHiLevel object to modify playback options. For instance to spatialize the audio playback:Var voipAudio = RemoteAvatar.GetComponent<VoipAudioSourceHiLevel>(); voipAudio.audioSource.spatialize = true;
Voip.Stop(remotePeer.ID);
Platform.Voip.GetSystemVoipMicrophoneMuted to check the mute state of the microphone.This section will walk you through the basic process of implementing VoIP in your Native app. Before integrating VoIP, please review the Parties page for information about potential conflicts with users who launch your app while participating in a party. Neglecting to do so will result in a poor user experience.
The general process of implementing VoIP is:
ovr_Voip_Start with the Id of the user they would like to connect with. Information about retrieving user id’s can be found or the Users, Friends, and Relationships.ovr_Net_Accept with the peerID of the request.ovrMessage_Notification_Voip_StateChange. Once this is received the users can begin exchanging data.ovr_Voip_GetOutputBufferMaxSize to determine the max output size, or the maximum number of elements that can be retrieved.ovr_Voip_GetPCMSize to determine the size of the data in the buffer. Then call one of the following methods to retrieve the data. One of these methods needs to be called for each connection, PCM data will only be returned for a single user connection. ovr_Voip_GetPCM - Retrieves the PCM data in 16 bit fixed point 48khz mono format. ovr_Voip_GetPCMWithTimestamp retrieves the same data with an additional timestamp that can be used for synchronization.ovr_Voip_GetPCMFloat - Retrieves the PCM data in 32 bit floating point 48khz mono. ovr_Voip_GetPCMWithTimestampFloat retrieves the same data with an additional timestamp that can be used for synchronization. Using floating point is not recommended unless necessary.ovr_Voip_SetMicrophoneMuted. Calling the same function will unmute the microphone. Call ovr_Voip_GetSystemVoipMicrophoneMuted to check the mute state of the microphone.ovr_Voip_Stop to close.Notifications and the Message Queue
As mentioned above, the VoIP service uses notifications to update your app on the status of the connection and service. Review the Requests and Messages page for more information about the message queue and notifications.
For example, a native application may listen for state changes using:
case ovrMessage_Notification_Voip_StateChange: {
ovrNetworkingPeerHandle netPeer = ovr_Message_GetNetworkingPeer(message);
ovrPeerConnectionState netState = ovr_NetworkingPeer_GetState(netPeer);
printf(
"User: %llu, voip state %s\n",
ovr_NetworkingPeer_GetID(netPeer),
ovrPeerConnectionState_ToString(netState)
);
}
Break;
The VrVoiceChat Unity app provided in the Platform SDK download demonstrates use of the VoIP service. Please see the Sample Apps page for more information about the apps that are available.
using UnityEngine;
using System.Collections;
using Oculus.Platform;
using Oculus.Platform.Models;
// Helper class to manage the Voice-over-IP connection to the
// remote user
public class VoipManager
{
// the ID of the remote user I expect to talk to
private ulong m_remoteID;
// the last reported state of the VOIP connection
private PeerConnectionState m_state = PeerConnectionState.Unknown;
// the GameObject where the remote VOIP will project from
private readonly GameObject m_remoteHead;
public VoipManager(GameObject remoteHead)
{
m_remoteHead = remoteHead;
Voip.SetVoipConnectRequestCallback(VoipConnectRequestCallback);
Voip.SetVoipStateChangeCallback(VoipStateChangedCallback);
}
public void ConnectTo(ulong userID)
{
m_remoteID = userID;
var audioSource = m_remoteHead.AddComponent<VoipAudioSourceHiLevel>();
audioSource.senderID = userID;
// ID comparison is used to decide who initiates and who gets the Callback
if (PlatformManager.MyID < m_remoteID)
{
Voip.Start(userID);
}
}
public void Disconnect()
{
if (m_remoteID != 0)
{
Voip.Stop(m_remoteID);
Object.Destroy(m_remoteHead.GetComponent<VoipAudioSourceHiLevel>(), 0);
m_remoteID = 0;
m_state = PeerConnectionState.Unknown;
}
}
public bool Connected
{
get
{
return m_state == PeerConnectionState.Connected;
}
}
void VoipConnectRequestCallback(Message<NetworkingPeer> msg)
{
Debug.LogFormat("Voip request from {0}, authorized is {1}", msg.Data.ID, m_remoteID);
if (msg.Data.ID == m_remoteID)
{
Voip.Accept(msg.Data.ID);
}
}
void VoipStateChangedCallback(Message<NetworkingPeer> msg)
{
Debug.LogFormat("Voip state to {0} changed to {1}", msg.Data.ID, msg.Data.State);
if (msg.Data.ID == m_remoteID)
{
m_state = msg.Data.State;
if (m_state == PeerConnectionState.Timeout &&
// ID comparison is used to decide who initiates and who gets the Callback
PlatformManager.MyID < m_remoteID)
{
// keep trying until hangup!
Voip.Start(m_remoteID);
}
}
PlatformManager.SetBackgroundColorForState();
}
}
To integrate VoIP in your Unreal app, call the functions below once you’ve established the online session. You can call these functions from anywhere in your code that you’d like. Please see Epic’s Online::GetVoiceInterface page for more information.
First, to enable VoIP in DefaultEngine.ini:
[OnlineSubsystem] DefaultPlatformService=Oculus bHasVoiceEnabled=true [Voice] bEnabled=true
In the session, you can retrieve an array of the players in the session and their corresponding FUniqueNetIdOculus.
To connect to someone else:
Online::GetVoiceInterface()->RegisterRemoteTalker(<FUniqueNetIdOculus>);
To disconnect from someone:
Online::GetVoiceInterface()->UnregisterRemoteTalker(<FUniqueNetIdOculus>);
To see if a remote user is talking:
Online::GetVoiceInterface()->IsRemotePlayerTalking(<FUniqueNetIdOculus>);
To unmute yourself:
Online::GetVoiceInterface()->StartNetworkedVoice(0);
To mute yourself:
Online::GetVoiceInterface()->StopNetworkedVoice(0);
Note: In your DefaultGame.ini file, there may be a PushToTalk value that defaults to True. This will require users to press a specified button to talk. Disable this to allow users to talk without pressing a button.