VIVE Focus 3 : 2D content starts in VR-mode and can't be closed, when updated via Unity's "Build And Run"

[GoranW]

I built a simple 2D Android mobile app (.apk file, with no VR support) in Unity and used "Build And Run" to start it on Focus 3.

The first time I did this, it did not start (unexpected), but I was able to locate it in Library by filtering on "2D". It started and worked fine, as a 2D window in Lobby (expected) and could be stopped by pointing at the X button below (expected).

However, on subsequent use of "Build And Run", my 2D app starts directly (expected) BUT in VR/fullscreen (unexpected) - and NOT in a 2D window in Lobby (which I would expect). The 2D content is split in half per left/right eye, so not at all comfortable to look at.

Additionally, there is no way to exit the 2D app once it is in VR/fullscreen mode (unexpected), so I have to force-stop the activity via [adb shell am ...]. Home button on the right controller does not bring upp system menu, and 10-second press on left headset-button does not close 2D apps (this seems to be "by design", same for 2D window in Lobby). NOTE: After force-stop, I can re-start my 2D app from Library (2D) and then it starts and works fine as a 2D window in Lobby...
 
Expected behavior: 2D content installed via Unity's "Build And Run" should always start in a 2D window in Lobby, never as VR/fullscreen. @Alex_HTC

[HackPerception]

@GoranW I'll flag this to the Wave SDK team. Is your use-case with F3 specifically to launch a non-VR native 2D application, or are did you just stumble across this bug while getting your development environment set up?

[GoranW]

@HackPerception Thanks! 2D is not my intended use-case, but I stumbled upon this when experimenting with a simple Unity 2D app (or actually, a 3D app but without VR/stereoscopic) on both Focus 3 and Quest 2.

[Alex_HTC]

There is a 2d mode, which will happen if running a non-vr camera and/or no vr modules selected.

I haven't purposefully run anything in 2d mode that wasn't intended to be that way, but likely there is a manifest issue that would cause it to be detected as 2d. 
 

Working backwards from "the right way" to do a vr app:

Describes how to make sure it's viewed as a vr app, and I suspect that the entries that would make the app be recognized as a vr app would be

A vr camera / vr subsystem enabled in unity will cause it to be a vr app more than likely, probably in the way you descripbe
 

this for sure initialized the vr subsystem, so make sure it's not in the android manifest

<activity android:name="com.htc.vr.unity.WVRUnityVRActivity"

and this entry makes it show up as a vr app in the launcher (as opposed to a 2d app)
 

<category android:name="com.htc.intent.category.VRAPP" />