wheaney · devindudeman · Jun 27, 2026
diff --git a/gnome/src/devicedatastream.js b/gnome/src/devicedatastream.js
@@ -40,6 +40,32 @@ const POSE_ORIENTATION = [dataViewEnd(EPOCH_MS), FLOAT_SIZE, 16];
 const IMU_PARITY_BYTE = [dataViewEnd(POSE_ORIENTATION), UINT8_SIZE, 1];
 const DATA_VIEW_LENGTH = dataViewEnd(IMU_PARITY_BYTE);
 
+// Flatten a packed pose-orientation buffer (mat4 as 16 floats: orientation
+// quaternions at floats [0..3] and [4..7], timestamps at [12..15]) to yaw-only.
+// Uses a swing-twist decomposition about the NWU up-axis (Z): keep the Z and W
+// components, zero X and Y, then renormalize. This removes all pitch and roll
+// from the rendered orientation, so the display tracks only horizontal (yaw)
+// head movement. The identity quaternion [0,0,0,1] is preserved.
+function applyHorizonLock(poseOrientation) {
+    for (const offset of [0, 4]) {
+        const z = poseOrientation[offset + 2];
+        const w = poseOrientation[offset + 3];
+        const norm = Math.hypot(z, w);
+        poseOrientation[offset] = 0;
+        poseOrientation[offset + 1] = 0;
+        if (norm < 1e-6) {
+            // Yaw is undefined here (a pure 180-degree pitch/roll pose); fall
+            // back to identity rather than emitting a zero (non-unit) quaternion.
+            poseOrientation[offset + 2] = 0;
+            poseOrientation[offset + 3] = 1;
+        } else {
+            poseOrientation[offset + 2] = z / norm;
+            poseOrientation[offset + 3] = w / norm;
+        }
+    }
+    return poseOrientation;
+}
+
 function checkParityByte(dataView) {
     const parityByte = dataViewUint8(dataView, IMU_PARITY_BYTE);
     let parity = 0;
@@ -132,6 +158,13 @@ export const DeviceDataStream = GObject.registerClass({
             'Debug mode that allows for testing with moving IMU values without a device connected',
             GObject.ParamFlags.READWRITE,
             false
+        ),
+        'horizon-lock': GObject.ParamSpec.boolean(
+            'horizon-lock',
+            'Horizon lock',
+            'Flatten the head pose to yaw-only (ignore pitch and roll) so the display only tracks horizontal head movement',
+            GObject.ParamFlags.READWRITE,
+            false
         )
     }
 }, class DeviceDataStream extends GObject.Object {
@@ -212,9 +245,13 @@ export const DeviceDataStream = GObject.registerClass({
                     const version = dataViewUint8(dataView, VERSION);
                     const enabled = dataViewUint8(dataView, ENABLED) !== 0 && version === DATA_LAYOUT_VERSION && validData;
                     let poseOrientation = dataViewFloatArray(dataView, POSE_ORIENTATION);
+                    if (this.horizon_lock) applyHorizonLock(poseOrientation);
                     let posePosition = dataViewFloatArray(dataView, POSE_POSITION);
                     let smoothFollowEnabled = !this.legacy_follow_mode && dataViewUint8(dataView, SMOOTH_FOLLOW_ENABLED) !== 0;
                     let smoothFollowOrigin = dataViewFloatArray(dataView, SMOOTH_FOLLOW_ORIGIN_DATA);
+                    // The shader renders from the smooth-follow origin when follow is
+                    // active, so horizon lock must flatten it too (same packed layout).
+                    if (this.horizon_lock) applyHorizonLock(smoothFollowOrigin);
                     const imuResetState = enabled && validData && poseOrientation[0] === 0.0 && poseOrientation[1] === 0.0 && poseOrientation[2] === 0.0 && poseOrientation[3] === 1.0;
                     const customBannerEnabled = dataViewUint8(dataView, CUSTOM_BANNER_ENABLED) !== 0;
                     const sbsEnabled = dataViewUint8(dataView, SBS_ENABLED) !== 0;
@@ -281,6 +318,7 @@ export const DeviceDataStream = GObject.registerClass({
                                     dataView = new DataView(buffer);
                                     imuDateMs = dataViewBigUint(dataView, EPOCH_MS);
                                     poseOrientation = dataViewFloatArray(dataView, POSE_ORIENTATION);
+                                    if (this.horizon_lock) applyHorizonLock(poseOrientation);
                                     posePosition = dataViewFloatArray(dataView, POSE_POSITION);
                                 }
                             }

diff --git a/gnome/src/extension.js b/gnome/src/extension.js
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ export default class BreezyDesktopExtension extends Extension {
             this.settings.bind('disable-physical-displays', this._monitor_manager, 'disable-physical-displays', Gio.SettingsBindFlags.DEFAULT);
             this.settings.bind('legacy-follow-mode', Globals.data_stream, 'legacy-follow-mode', Gio.SettingsBindFlags.DEFAULT);
             this.settings.bind('debug-no-device', Globals.data_stream, 'debug-no-device', Gio.SettingsBindFlags.DEFAULT);
+            this.settings.bind('horizon-lock', Globals.data_stream, 'horizon-lock', Gio.SettingsBindFlags.DEFAULT);
 
             this._breezy_desktop_running_connection = Globals.data_stream.connect('notify::breezy-desktop-running', 
                 this._handle_breezy_desktop_running_change.bind(this));
@@ -732,6 +733,7 @@ export default class BreezyDesktopExtension extends Extension {
             Gio.Settings.unbind(this.settings, 'headset-as-primary');
             Gio.Settings.unbind(this.settings, 'disable-physical-displays');
             Gio.Settings.unbind(this.settings, 'debug-no-device');
+            Gio.Settings.unbind(this.settings, 'horizon-lock');
 
             if (this._monitor_manager) {
                 this._monitor_manager.disable();

diff --git a/ui/data/com.xronlinux.BreezyDesktop.gschema.xml b/ui/data/com.xronlinux.BreezyDesktop.gschema.xml
@@ -154,6 +154,15 @@
         Enable curved display mode
       </description>
     </key>
+    <key name="horizon-lock" type="b">
+      <default>
+        false
+      </default>
+      <summary>Horizon lock</summary>
+      <description>
+        Lock the display to the horizon, tracking only horizontal (yaw) head movement and ignoring pitch (vertical) and roll (tilt)
+      </description>
+    </key>
     <key name="look-ahead-override" type="i">
       <default>
         -1

diff --git a/ui/src/connecteddevice.py b/ui/src/connecteddevice.py
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ class ConnectedDevice(Gtk.Box):
     follow_threshold_adjustment = Gtk.Template.Child()
     follow_mode_switch = Gtk.Template.Child()
     curved_display_switch = Gtk.Template.Child()
+    horizon_lock_switch = Gtk.Template.Child()
     top_features_group = Gtk.Template.Child()
     virtual_displays_row = Gtk.Template.Child()
     add_virtual_display_menu = Gtk.Template.Child()
@@ -99,6 +100,7 @@ def __init__(self):
             self.follow_mode_switch,
             self.follow_threshold_scale,
             self.curved_display_switch,
+            self.horizon_lock_switch,
             self.add_virtual_display_menu,
             self.add_virtual_display_button,
             self.change_all_displays_distance_button,
@@ -124,6 +126,7 @@ def __init__(self):
         self.settings.bind('follow-threshold', self.follow_threshold_adjustment, 'value', Gio.SettingsBindFlags.DEFAULT)
         # self.settings.bind('widescreen-mode', self.widescreen_mode_switch, 'active', Gio.SettingsBindFlags.DEFAULT)
         self.settings.bind('curved-display', self.curved_display_switch, 'active', Gio.SettingsBindFlags.DEFAULT)
+        self.settings.bind('horizon-lock', self.horizon_lock_switch, 'active', Gio.SettingsBindFlags.DEFAULT)
         self.settings.bind('headset-display-as-viewport-center', self.headset_display_as_viewport_center_switch, 'active', Gio.SettingsBindFlags.DEFAULT)
         self.settings.bind('headset-as-primary', self.headset_as_primary_switch, 'active', Gio.SettingsBindFlags.DEFAULT)
         self.settings.bind('remove-virtual-displays-on-disable', self.remove_virtual_displays_on_disable_switch, 'active', Gio.SettingsBindFlags.DEFAULT)

diff --git a/ui/src/gtk/connected-device.ui b/ui/src/gtk/connected-device.ui
@@ -88,6 +88,18 @@
                         </child>
                       </object>
                     </child>
+                    <child>
+                      <object class="AdwActionRow">
+                        <property name="title" translatable="yes"><!-- feature switch -->Horizon lock</property>
+                        <property name="subtitle" translatable="yes">Track only horizontal head movement; ignore looking up/down and head tilt.</property>
+                        <property name="valign">2</property>
+                        <child>
+                          <object class="GtkSwitch" id="horizon_lock_switch">
+                            <property name="valign">3</property>
+                          </object>
+                        </child>
+                      </object>
+                    </child>
                     <child>
                       <object class="AdwActionRow">
                         <property name="title" translatable="yes"><!-- feature switch -->Disable physical displays</property>