6.6 KiB
Astra 2 and VITURE stereo
Tested connection
2026-10-14: REDMAGIC Astra 2, model NP06J, Android 16,
RedMagicOS11.5.16_NP06J_GB, Snapdragon SM8850P; VITURE Pro XR
(35ca:101d), firmware 07.0.03.013_20250422. The tablet reports a locked
bootloader and green verified boot. Tests used the ordinary ADB shell, without root.
2D negotiates 1920×1080 at 120 Hz. The glasses accept stereo command
0x0008 [32] with reply 00 32, but Android then exposes only 640×480 at
60 Hz. An accepted USB command is not proof of a working stereo signal.
In this state the glasses reject a 2D command (01 31 or 01 34) and their
mode query returns 01 00. A physical cable reconnect is the next recovery step;
that recovery has not yet been retested with this update.
What was checked
| Route | Result on this firmware |
|---|---|
Pro full SBS command 0x32 |
Accepted by MCU; physical output falls to 640×480 |
| Android preferred mode 3840×1080/60 | Preference saved; physical supported modes remain 640×480 only; preference cleared after test |
| USB source/host → source/device | Request issued; actual port stayed source/host |
| USB data disable/enable | Data status changed and was restored; physical display remained 640×480 |
IUsbManager.resetUsbPort through ADB |
HAL callback reported success (0); display and pinned mode did not change |
| External-display power off/reset | Did not recover the signal; glasses still rejected 2D |
| OEM mirror/3D controls, source review | Change virtual-display routing, not physical stereo timings |
| OEM resolution selection, source review | Chooses cached resolution candidates and prefers stale 16:9 mode |
| Pro startup mode / half SBS, SDK review | No supported Pro startup-mode setting or half-SBS input |
Public driver decompilations from the related REDMAGIC 11 Pro (NX809J, SM8850)
retain an active mode override
across a glasses hotplug. Their USB-PD disconnect path
clears that override; their simulated hotplug path does not. This is consistent
with the Astra's measured behavior, but does not prove its exact kernel
implementation. That driver also validates saved user modes against EDID,
so active overrides and saved preferences must not be treated as the same
mechanism. The independent MagicDesk investigation
documents a related failure on its separately identified REDMAGIC firmware.
The VITURE SDK matrix specifies full SBS at 3840×1080/60 for Pro. Persistent startup mode is restricted to Luma/Luma Pro. Among the Luma families supported here, 90 Hz stereo is an Ultra capability. The connected Pro firmware matches the N6PL entry in the public updater catalog; that fallback catalog does not establish whether the update service offers another build.
No-root hardware design to test
A powered pass-through connection may let the tablet see the stereo EDID on a fresh USB-PD connection while the glasses retain their stereo mode:
- Power the adapter and glasses independently of the tablet connection.
- Enable stereo on the glasses.
- Disconnect only the tablet's upstream USB-C connection, keeping the glasses powered.
- Reconnect the tablet and check its physical supported modes before starting a game.
This requires an adapter that preserves glasses power and mode during the upstream disconnect, passes 3840×1080/60 video, and forwards USB HID for controls and head tracking. The VITURE Adapter Ultra specifications describe separate power, DP1.4 and USB2 host support, but do not promise that mode-retention behavior. This design remains unverified, not a purchasing recommendation. An intermediary presenting the stereo EDID before first host connection is another possible design; it must pass the actual stereo timing and preserve HID access, not merely advertise a wider desktop.
Success requires Android to expose and select 3840×1080/60, different left/right
eye images to reach the lenses, live head tracking, and repeatable return to 2D.
A wide screenshot or wm size override alone does not meet those conditions.
App safeguards
DroidDeck waits up to 20 seconds for physical stereo confirmation. A temporary low-resolution mode does not permanently blacklist the device. Failed attempts offer manual retry once the 2D signal returns; automatic retries do not loop. USB mode reports are tracked separately from the physical display. When a session enabled 3D, stopping it requests a return to 2D, including during negotiation; this firmware can still require a cable reconnect. Output timing follows the active glasses display rather than the tablet's requested refresh rate.
Keep hardware experiments separate from game loads. End the session, force-stop DroidDeck, and reopen its home screen after each game test. Read current HAL temperatures rather than cached thermal-service samples.
Validation of this update
- Full debug APK build, including the Rust store engine; native-library, session asset and runtime-input packaging checks passed.
- 840 Android unit tests across 140 suites passed, including mode deadlines, reconnect ownership, stale USB callbacks and model-specific protocol cases.
- Four host tests passed, including native refresh notification, event coalescing, full-pipe handling and Cardboard output checks.
- On the Astra: brightness changed and was restored; IMU delivered 400 packets in two seconds; Steam reached its first frame in 4.9 seconds and exited cleanly. Wayland reported the actual 120 Hz tablet mode. Four complete steady-state ten-second windows recorded 116.8–119.5 screen frames/s in Steam's UI.
- DroidDeck was force-stopped and relaunched after testing. Debugging tools and temporary logging/display overrides were restored. Current HAL temperatures after the session were 25°C battery and 28.3°C skin.
These checks do not establish stereo-game performance or a sustained thermal baseline. Direct-cable stereo and the powered-adapter design remain unverified as working solutions on this Astra firmware.