Troubleshooting Display Issues in VEXcode VR on Google Chrome – VEX Library

Some users may see a black floor in the VEXcode VR Playground. This display issue has two known causes, which vary depending on your device. To resolve the issue, find your device type in the sections below and follow the corresponding instructions.

Chromebooks and Android

If the VR Playground's floor is turning black on your Chromebook or Android device, this means that the Chrome web browser is using the Vulkan API to process VEXcode VR graphics.

We are aware of this issue and are actively looking into a solution.

Note: Because of this issue, the Fill area with color Block and pen.fill() command will not function.

The bottom left corner of the VEXcode VR Playground where there is a gold play button above a gold reset button outlined in red, accompanied by a digital timer displaying 00:00:0 against a gray background.

A potential solution to this issue is to press the Playground Reset button. While this may reset the floor and resolve the issue on the next load, it is not guaranteed to work.

This will not work on the 123 Playspace Playground.

Windows and Mac

If the VR Playground's floor is turning black on your Windows or Mac device, that means that the Chrome web browser does not have graphics acceleration enabled.

VEXcode VR Playgrounds are 3D applications that require graphics processing to function. By default, your browser may not use your device's full graphics capabilities. Enabling graphics acceleration lets your browser use your device's graphics processing unit (GPU) for these tasks. This can improve the performance of the Playground.

Not having graphics acceleration enabled can also lead to a lower frame rate, incorrect sensor data from the VR Robot, or improper behaviors from the Pen tool.


Graphics acceleration off	Graphics acceleration on

How to Enable Graphics Acceleration

Follow the steps below to enable graphics acceleration.

Screenshot of the VEXcode VR troubleshooting section, displaying common issues and solutions related to programming a virtual robot in the VEXcode VR platform, aimed at assisting users in resolving coding challenges.

Select the three dots on the top right of the web browser.

Screenshot of VEXcode VR troubleshooting tips, displaying common issues and solutions for users in the online programming environment designed for learning coding concepts with a virtual robot.

Select Settings from the bottom of this dropdown menu.

Screenshot of VEXcode VR troubleshooting tips, displaying common issues and solutions for users in the online programming environment designed for learning coding concepts with a virtual robot.

In the Settings menu, select System.

The dropdown menu from a Chrome-based web browser, with the Settings option highlighted in red at the bottom of the menu. The menu also includes options such as New Tab, New Window, History, Downloads, and more, along with associated keyboard shortcuts.

The graphics acceleration option will appear. Select the toggle to the right to turn on graphics acceleration.

The image displays a section of a settings menu under System, where the Use graphics acceleration when available option is enabled. The toggle switch is set to on, and a Relaunch button is outlined in red, indicating that changes require restarting the application.

After turning on graphics acceleration, you will be prompted to relaunch Chrome.

The image shows a section of a settings menu under System, with the Use graphics acceleration when available option outlined in red. The toggle switch for this option is set to on, indicating that graphics acceleration is enabled.

After relaunching, you will see that the graphics acceleration toggle is set to on.