Developing immersive VR applications and games in Unreal Engine 5

Virtual reality (VR) is a technology that allows users to experience the feeling of being part of a virtual world. VR is used in various fields such as gaming, education, architecture and design, medicine, and advertising.

VR allows users to enter environments that would otherwise be inaccessible and experience different experiences or simulate different situations. VR is usually used through special glasses or headsets that transmit images from a computer or other device to the user's eyes.

Virtual reality is an ever-evolving technology that offers many possibilities and brings new ways to convey experiences and simulate various situations.

1. Education: Improve learning capabilities and student engagement. For example, students can explore distant places or historical events without leaving the classroom.
2. Training and education: simulation of various situations for training, such as flying an aircraft or rescue operations.
3. Medicine: medical education and training, but also the diagnosis and treatment of patients, for example treating phobias or providing analgesia to treat pain.
4. Architecture and design: reviewing and testing building and interior designs before they are built or renovated.
5. Entertainment and Arts: creating experiences such as concerts or art exhibitions in a virtual environment.
6. Business and conferences: organizing business meetings or conferences without the participants having to travel.
7. Marketing and advertising: improving brand awareness and presenting products and services to customers in a new and interesting form.
8. Real estate agencies: viewing properties for sale or rent of apartments and houses without the need for a physical visit.
9. Tourism: exploring travel destinations and creating virtual tours of places that would otherwise be inaccessible or too far away for tourists.
10. Retail: the sale of products and services over the internet in the form of a virtual store.
11. Automotive industry: design and visualization of new cars before they are manufactured, testing the ergonomics of controls and infotainment.
12. Film and Television: creating interactive and immersive film and television experiences.
13. Games: creating games that are interactive and immersive, giving players the feeling of being in the game itself.
14. Architecture and urbanism: the design and planning of urban space and to test different scenarios of urban development.
15. Agriculture: planning and optimization of agricultural land and simulation of various scenarios.
16. Psychology and therapy: treating mental disorders and improving mental health, for example through virtual reality therapy.
17. Science and research: research on various topics, such as social interaction or animal behavior in artificial environments.
18. Industry: simulation and improvement of industrial processes, such as manufacturing or logistics. It can also be used to improve employee safety and efficiency.
19. Rehabilitation: the treatment of injuries and post-traumatic conditions using exercises in a virtual environment. It can also be used to strengthen muscles and restore movement abilities after injuries or surgeries.
20. Sports: training athletes and improving their performance. It can also be used to simulate various sporting situations for analysis and improvement of tactics or technique.
21. Product demo: presenting products and services to customers and allowing them to view products before purchasing without the need for physical in-person contact or travel to a store. It can also be used to show products from different angles or demonstrate product features in an interactive manner.
22. Psychology and sociology: the study of human behavior and social interactions in artificial environments.
23. Geography: the viewing and study of geographical areas and landscapes without having to travel to those places.
24. Law: trial simulations and training for lawyers and judges.
25. Management: simulation of various business situations and training of managers and executives. It can also be used for project planning and management and data analysis.

Generally speaking, you will need a VR headset or glasses to insert your mobile phone into.

VR is most commonly used through headsets that are worn on the head and transmit images from a computer or other device directly to the user's eyes. Headsets vary by brand and type, but most include screens that provide images, headphones that transmit sound, and additional sensors that track the user's head and body movements.

In addition to the headset, you often also need a computer or other device to run the VR app or game. Most headsets require a computer with a powerful enough graphics card and other components to handle VR content and ensure a smooth and seamless experience.

Nowadays, however, there are also fully autonomous headsets, such as the very popular Oculus (Meta) Quest. These headsets do not require a connection to a computer, however, their performance is also noticeably lower and certain technical limitations resulting from their hardware and software equipment must be taken into account.

In addition to the headset and computer, other components may also be needed, such as controllers or sensors to track the movement of the user's hands and body, or a special pad for safely moving around in the virtual environment.

Generally, the cheapest option is to use a mobile phone inserted into VR glasses such as Google Cardboard, however, this solution has several fairly significant disadvantages, which is why we cannot recommend this platform.

The first significant disadvantage of this solution is that you never know what phone the user will have and whether it will be powerful enough to run a given application or game. In addition, there may be problems with different versions of the operating system, where on some phones the given application may not work at all, may show various graphic errors, or may be unstable.

Another significant disadvantage is that most users do not have a controller to move around the virtual world or track their hand movements, so control must be limited to head movements, which is often quite limiting and not natural.

Additionally, Google has already discontinued the Cardboard project and no longer supports it, just as it is not supported by new versions of the Unreal Engine, which we use for development.

Therefore, due to our concerns, we do not recommend developing for this platform, on the contrary, we can recommend the Meta (Oculus) Quest 3 or its possible successor.

Our most popular platform is currently the Meta (Oculus) Quest 3. This headset has the major advantage of not requiring a connection to a computer and is also very affordable. However, we are generally able to create a game or application for you for any VR platform on the market.

The duration of VR game or app development can vary greatly depending on many factors, such as the scope of the project, the complexity of the solution, the number of developers, and other circumstances. In general, it can be said that the development of a VR game or app can take from a few weeks to several months or even years.

It is difficult to estimate the exact development time of a VR game or application without knowing the specific project and customer requirements. Our company will of course consult with you about the development duration and we will give you an estimate right in the initial stages of development.

The price of developing a VR game or application can vary greatly depending on many factors, such as the scope of the project, the complexity of the solution, the number of developers, or the length of development. In general, it can be said that the price of developing a VR game or application ranges from tens of thousands to millions of crowns.

It is difficult to estimate the exact price of developing a VR game or application without knowing the specific project and customer requirements. We will prepare a specific offer for you, but for a rough idea, we have prepared an article that will help you get at least an approximate idea of ​​the price.

We develop for the entire spectrum of devices.

• Standalone VR (Mobile): Meta Quest 2, Quest 3, Pico 4. Advantage: no cables, lower hardware price.

• PC VR (High-end): HTC Vive Pro, Varjo, Valve Index. Advantage: maximum graphic quality and performance, suitable for showrooms and demanding simulations. We always optimize the application exactly for the hardware you plan to use.

Motion sickness in VR is caused by poor optimization (low FPS) or inappropriate movement patterns. We adhere to strict technical standards (maintaining a stable 72/90 FPS) and design movement mechanics (e.g. teleportation or room-scale movement) that are natural to the human brain. This makes the experience comfortable even for complete beginners.