A process is a series of steps to achieve a result, and tools are objects or frameworks designed to serve a specific function. Processes can exist without tools, but tools can help processes work more efficiently. 

Similarly, in a game development setup, various virtual reality tools have become easily accessible to both creators and consumers to create and encounter immersive experiences.

10 Popular VR Game Development Tools

There are a range of tools and frameworks that are being used for VR game development projects. Some work individually quite well, and others are used in combinations making VR all the more experiential. Such VR tools breathe life into the video game mechanics, allowing players to interact with the characters and environment of the game very well. Here are some of the best VR software that we think are essentially created to empower VR developers around the world.

Blender

Blender is an open-source 3D computer graphics software tool. Its capabilities for VR content creation include comprehensive 3D modeling tools, advanced texturing and shading, animation and rigging, and integration with VR Devices. It allows you to create detailed and complex models, apply realistic textures and materials, add movement and interaction to your VR projects, and also supports VR hardware, allowing you to test and experience your work in real time.

Looking for stunning 3D product renders for your ecommerce website?

Maya by Autodesk

Maya is Autodesk’s virtual reality software which allows you to create 3D computer animation and VFX graphics. This powerful software allows developers to build their 3D assets and sciences with tools for 3D animation, modeling, rendering, shading, simulation, and more. Autodesk also offers 3ds Max, a similar 3D modeling and rendering software for design visualization, games, and animation. Maya is also compatible with multiple operating systems like Microsoft Windows, Apple macOS, and Linux increasing the flexibility of a VR development process.

Visual Studio Code - IDE

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a lightweight, free, open-source code editor redefined and optimized for building and debugging modern web and cloud applications. It is highly extensible, and is available for Windows, MacOS, and Linux, providing a common ground for developers working on multiple platforms. It provides an intuitive coding environment with intelligent code completion, debugging features, and syntax highlighting, whether you prefer C++, C#, or a combination of both.

Unreal - Game Engine 

Unreal Engine is a powerful and production-proven RT3D (Real-Time 3D) computer graphics game engine developed by Epic Games. The latest releases of Unreal Engine have allowed many developers to use Unreal Engine to create award-winning VR experiences for Oculus headsets. The game engine offers several advantages for Unreal game development companies, that include real-time rendering, high-end graphics, and support for multiple VR platforms, making it ideal for developers looking to create stunning and immersive VR experiences. 

Get 20-min free consultation on how Unreal can change your game idea.

Photoshop - UI Designing

Adobe Photoshop is a raster graphics editor for Windows and macOS created and published by Adobe. It is a key tool for creating virtual reality (VR) games because it allows artists to create concept art for characters, environments, and game assets. Photoshop's digital imaging features can help artists create visually stunning and immersive experiences for players. 

Adobe Substance 3D Painter - Texturing of models

Adobe Substance 3D Painter is a 3D painting software and a reference texturing app used by 3D professionals and enthusiasts to add materials and textures to 3D meshes in real time. Popularly used in many AAA games, Adobe Substance 3D also has a VR modeling app called Substance 3D Modeler, which allows users to model 3D assets using motions that mimic real-life sculpting. 

Read how Substance Painter helped our expert in game asset creation - How to Create a Game-Ready AAA asset

Audacity - Audio editing and processing

Audacity is the world's most popular audio editing and recording application software for Windows, macOS, Linux, and other Unix-like operating systems. The software is free and open-source packed with features that allow you to do it all - sound manipulation, volume compression and mixing, video audio enhancement, etc. Its new real-time tools and bar-beat grid amp up the software’s music recording capabilities. It also offers many editing options for dialogue, sound effects, and trimming music tracks.

Draco 3D - 3D Optimization and Compression Tools

Draco 3D is an open-source library by Google that is used to compress and decompress 3D geometric meshes and point clouds. It is intended to improve the storage and transmission of 3D graphics. It includes command-line tools that allow the user to encode an OBJ file while setting quantization levels. It is fast with a large JavaScript library. Draco also appears to have a more active developer community that helps with learning, collaboration, and networking. 

Mixamo - Animation and Motion Capture 

Mixamo is a 3D computer graphics technology company that develops and sells web-based services for 3D character animation. It offers a library of thousands of full-body character animations and high-quality 3D characters, captured and created by professional motion actors and artists. You can upload your custom character, customize your rigging options, and export characters and animations in multiple formats.

GitHub - Version Control and Collaboration Tools

GitHub is the world’s leading platform for developers with over 100 million users. It can be integrated with platforms like Google Cloud and Amazon. It can also highlight syntax in over 200 different programming languages. The platform also hosts a significant percentage of the world’s open-source projects. GitHub Apps are first-class actors within GitHub and allow actions to be performed on your user’s repositories.

Logic Simplified is a well-established Virtual Reality game development company that works with small and large businesses to build games for smartphones, web, and gaming consoles. Our highly trained and professional game app developers build VR experiences and environments that offer an immersive and stimulating experience. We use the latest development tools and frameworks to develop VR games from scratch that meet the business's specific requirements. Contact us at enquiry@logicsimplified.com to take this ahead.

The above statistic makes one thing very clear that the gaming industry has seen tremendous growth over the past few years and predominantly smartphones are the major cause behind it. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the industry owes its expansion to the smartphones that have given the users the flexibility to play anywhere and at any time. Augmented reality and Virtual reality are a user-focused technology that does amazing things and let’s people indulge in experiences that bring imagination to life. One can’t help but wonder about the experiences it provides its users to interact with the digital world by commingling the real world with the virtual.   

You may also read: Future Of Smartphones With Increasing Dynamic User Experiences

There are a lot of big investments happening in these commercially feasible technological advances and the percentage for this is just expected to grow in the coming years. As regards, there are many reasons behind businesses showing strong confidence in Augmented reality and Virtual reality, few of which we will discuss going forward. But for those of you who are new to this subject, let;s first understand what these terms actually mean.

Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality

Many of you must have heard about the popular Nintendo owned “Pokemon Go”, an Augmented Reality game that works by placing the Pokemon on a world map and allowing the player to control it to catch other pokemons. A player starts from a specific location and uses their phone camera and GPS to see the Pokemon in the real world, find other pokemons and catch them. As the player moves in real life, so does the pokemon in the game on your mobile screen. This interaction of the game and real life is what Augmented Reality is. When the digital world and the physical elements come together to form a synthetic environment.

Image source: Techgenyz

However, Beat Saber by Beat Games is a great example of a Virtual reality rhythm game where the player is placed into a three-dimensional environment and the player has to slash blocks representing musical beats with the use of a pair of glowing sabers. The movement of the avatar in the game is controlled by the movement of the player’s body using VR motion controllers. This simulation of another world or reality through computer or sensory devices is Virtual reality. 

Image source: PlayStation

Further let’s discourse a few points on why developers should use AR and VR technology to build entertaining and immersive games.

AR and VR gives the player an indulging experience

We cannot neglect the fact that the use of AR and VR in gaming gives us quality games that are rich in graphics, and offers precise controls to the players other than the immersive experiences it provides. AR and VR allows designers to pay attention to the intricate details of the game and lets them give the players an emotional and exceptional experience that stays with them and makes them want to return to the game. With improved game mechanics, VR and AR game development brings increased potential for unexampled motion and gesture. It allows gamers to interact with elements and game controls giving them flexibility and command. For a gamer it is like feeling the wind in their hair or feeling the vibrations during fake explosions and gun flighting. 

These innovations and technological advancements have been able to give the gamers an immersive digital experience which earlier was not possible. It also allows the user to play in their own avatar, live the virtual experience in gaming by providing them with an alternative environment. These immersive experiences are influential, compelling, and entertaining. There is a synthetic environment that virtual reality game development creates for the users and somehow the physical movements of the user are also directly connected using sensor-equipped gloves, hand controllers, etc. with the computer via VR headsets so that the user’s feelings and experience is extremely engaging and immersive. And, these engaging games or content when introduced to the target market helps in generating results through sales, consumer loyalty and reach. 

How VR headsets work?

To understand how these VR headsets work for a user and how VR locomotion of the avatar takes place, one needs to understand the Degree of Freedom that is the number of directions an object or avatar can move in a 3D space. The total number of directions in which an object or avatar can possibly move are six. And having said that, the VR headsets are of two types - 3DOF and 6DOF. 3 Degrees of Freedom (3DOF) VR headsets include the rolling (head pivots side to side), Yawing (head swivels along a horizontal axis), and pitching (head tilts along a vertical axis). Although 6 Degrees of Freedom (6DOF) VR headsets offer 3 additional directions which are elevating (person moves up or down), strafing (person moves left or right), and surging (person moves forward or backwards).

Forecasts project massive growth in both AR and VR headset sales in the coming years, with both technologies combined expected to sell over 26 million units per year by 2023. (Source: Statista)

The virtual industry is growing at a tremendous rate and the developers are working towards fulfilling the demands of the market that is to create applications that are affordable and go beyond entertainment. And so there is work being done to create cableless headsets with powerful processors that will allow users to view images in HD. The next few years might also see integration of AI and 5G into VR and AR shaping an advanced future for the gaming industry.

Gives creative content to the gamers

The experience that AR and VR development provides is undoubtedly ultimate but besides that it also delivers engaging and multidimensional content for the users that is thoroughly coded by the game app developers. The game developers also propose customized content for the targeted audience. There are several softwares, headsets, and content creation apps like Blippar and Zappar that are democratising Augmented reality which will let anybody create their own AR experiences. AR gaming also primarily incorporates game audio and visual content into the gamer’s environment in real-time.

You may also read: VR website development

Revitalization of the 3D experience

3D technology was introduced to the world in the year 1984 but it is now that this technology has been emerging and proactively being leveraged by businesses to not just improve the experience of their users but simplify the working process. It’s growth has opened the doors to many promising opportunities for various industries, gaming being one of them. And in the last few years, the market has seen the revival of 3D technological progression on the gaming screens.

Allows real-time interaction

The AR and VR-powered games are immensely interactive which also make them all the more attractive, fun, and entertaining. Nonetheless, no player enjoys lags in information of image or gaming control. With Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM), this technology allows  the users to combine real life and computer derived images in real-time. Visual SLAM is actually an algorithm that processes images from a video camera in real-time which is 30 frames per second. Now we understand AR and VR better but to understand the concept of real time interaction, we also need to acquaint ourselves with the term “Extended Reality (XR)”. When multiple users are playing a game together, let's say in a multiplayer game, they tend to interact with one another and share the same virtual content or experiences. Real-time interaction with XR enables users to process the input data in milliseconds and amplifies the immersiveness with the technology being applied to a virtual environment. As a result, the games are more seamless and efficient.

Learning simulators

There are certain categories of creative video games and their virtual reality environments that use immersive technologies and are very successful among people for it gives them a platform to learn, train, and improve certain skills as they simultaneously play and enjoy with their friends. The usage of such interactive video games, the evolution in technologies, and low cost solutions have made Virtual reality and augmented reality more accessible to people. 

The gaming industry is contemplating, pushing boundaries and striding towards a juncture where games and gamers will see a lot more breakthroughs that will define the future of gaming. Brilliant game developers around the world are doing unparalleled work in the field of game development. However, one such company with its adept team of game designers and developers is Logic Simplified in Dehradun. It is a professional VR and AR game development company that provides solutions for gaming businesses across the globe and allows you to hire AR game developers and VR game developers to not just create games but experiences that are indulging and immersive for every player. To know more just drop us an email at enquiry@logicsimplified.com 

A typical interactive VR application can generate about one terabyte of data per hour, which is the equivalent of approximately 200,000 songs and 17,000 hours of music (assuming the size of one song is 5 MB). Storing such huge piles of VR data is a big and expensive task. Cloud may not be a practical solution for storing VR content as there is a constant need for retrieving, editing and enhancing VR data based on user interactions. Any delay in data access will hamper the user experience and break the immersion because of hiccups and outright loading freezes. Slow-loading or lag-heavy experiences not just frustrate users, but also pose the risk of motion sickness due to disorientation or other motion-induced conditions. Also, the initial cost of the cloud is nominal, but recurring cost increases sharply as data volumes grow. The cost of recalling data from the cloud also goes on a higher side when we take into consideration the type of files as large as VR.

One of the best ways to store VR data is to find a solution that makes it possible for companies to access and tinker with the files as per their needs. Plus, it should also allow to archive VR data files economically in order to protect and store the data for as long as needed. VR developers can achieve this by following a two-tier system approach, with network-attached storage (NAS) on the front end, and tape storage on the backend. This system not just significantly cuts storage costs but also works perfectly for VR content. VR data can be easily accessed through tier 1 storage, such as NAS disk systems. Once the data is edited, VR developers can move it to a low-cost second-tier storage medium, such as tape. A two-tier storage infrastructure will go a long way in saving time and money for your VR business.

Also read: What goes in virtual reality game development

Solid state drives (SSDs) are considered to be the best for building VR applications as they allow for faster read/write data access. However, as SSDs are more expensive than mechanical hard disk drives (HDDs), most VR developers opt for HDDs because of far greater storage ability at a much lower cost. Yes, the cost of SSDs have started to decline, but it will still take some more time to get ahead of HDDs.

Edge computing is also a very good solution for storing VR content. As data storage technology advances and becomes less expensive, we will see more and more VR apps distributing much of their VR content away from the core of the network at the edge facilities that are closer to their end-users. Edge data centres can eliminate much of the latency issue caused by distance.

Also read: The good and the bad of Sony PlayStation VR gaming

Since VR applications are about delivering an immersive experience, it also becomes important to use the highest quality displays, especially because the screen is held so close to the user’s eyes. A typical 1080p display is good, but far from ideal for VR content. Many VR developers now use more detailed 4k displays, but 8K displays are also available in the market now. Video footage in such high resolution on 8K displays will create an even bigger challenge for network infrastructure.

It’s not an easy task to create and store 3D content for VR apps, but you can save a lot of time, money and effort by outsourcing VR game app development and 3D modeling to experts in India. That said, I would like to introduce you to Logic Simplified, a virtual reality game development studio in India, with over a decade of experience in building video games for multiple platforms.

Build Your VR Game with Logic Simplified

Our virtual reality game developers do a high level of brainstorming and have great prototyping skills. It’s very important to handle data storage issues from the beginning of VR development and we, at Logic Simplified, ensure that every time. You can hire VR game developers from us to build VR games for best technologies, such as Oculus Rift DK2, Oculus Samsung Gear VR, HTC VIVE, Google Cardboard (Mobile VR), Google Daydream VR and more. Maintaining a proper frame rate of 60 FPS is quite a challenge in VR game development as rendering is done twice for each eye perspective. If your device’s frame rate does not match with user head motion, it will cause motion sickness. Our VR developers use various optimization techniques, such as object pooling, dynamic and static batching, baked lighting, VR optimized shading and more, to provide an immersive experience of looking around, without triggering the events of motion sickness. Our developers also use specialized tools and libraries, such as gvr-unity-sdk-master (Google VR SDK)/Leap Motion Orion SDK (HTC VIVE SDK)/Unity Embedded Oculus DK2 SDK, to speed up the overall VR game development cycle. We are a reputed game app developer in India you can trust to save a lot of time and money that go in building a highly immersive VR game. Please share your VR game idea by writing to us at enquiry@logicsimplified.com, and we promise to get back to you shortly to provide you with gaming solutions we are proud of.

Also read about the Best Playstation VR Games

WebVR Shopping Portal Application development

From virtual reality game development, VR portal development has moved to the retail and e-commerce industry as a great tool for enticing new customers. The outburst in the growth of VR is great news for eCommerce merchants. New platforms for marketing and techniques don’t come around much. But whenever they do, if you want to survive, you have to be the first one to jump on board.

Possibly you would have been in a situation where you are looking for a product online, but you hesitate to buy. This is because you want to see that in a person first. Sound familiar?

Wouldn’t it be convenient for you if that product might magically come in front of you? Well, Virtual Reality can do that for you, and believe it or not, it can be done right from your browser.

As a marketing tool for businesses, VR portals are becoming progressively important. It may sound futuristic or a bit of novelty. Still, it is making an impact and proving to be a valuable resource, especially in the marketing segments like customer service and live events.

There is no doubt that to have a strong connection between your customer and your brand is essential. If they feel truly connected with the product, then only they will buy it. To make a healthy relationship with them, you need to continually come up with innovative ways to make your product visible. It can be either one-to-one sessions, word of mouth, advertising, website, social media, good-looking stores, and many other ways.

But today, we can see a change in communication where the companies are turning away from the conventional form of marketing and gravitating towards technology ridden approaches - VR website. Marketing is taking one step further where you can not only see the product but experience it, live through it. The following article focuses on WebVR and how you can make the best use of it in your business to entice customers.

If you have a struggling business, then this one’s for you. Keep reading!

What is WebVR?

WebVR is a JavaScript API that brings the magic of virtual reality to your internet browser. The user navigates through a 2D web interface like always they do. But when they communicate with any VR content, they immediately begin interacting with 3D content. These browsers allow users to see content as responsive to their phone positioning and movement of their mobile devices. 

Once the user “Enter VR” button from the browser, they enter into the world of virtual reality and with any available VR headset they can experience full immersion without downloading an app or plugins. With just a single click, these browsers provide the user with a smooth VR experience. These browsers are smart enough as they reconcile the past 2D browser with future browsing. 

Why Implement WebVR?

It can be annoying to go to an online store followed with “Download the app!” The same annoyance can also happen with VR shopping if you have to download the large app for every individual store you wish to visit. It is also a big obstruction for a new merchant, as they will have to think about creating an app and market it. This is the reason why VR websites are so powerful. 

The 3D experience exists alongside the rest of the online store and reaps the benefits of all other advantages that the website offers. Web virtual reality development allows the customer to have a 360-degree widespread product view. Today, there are various types of VR devices, with different levels of compatibility, often with their own storefronts. This has resulted in a fragmentation of the VR ecosystem, where you can access certain games and apps on specific platforms.

However, with a VR website, you can explore virtual reality in a platform where you no longer have to select which devices you are going to choose and develop them as a different experience. Instead of developing an app which users have to download, a WebVR simply appears on the web, just like any other website. Navigate the site, plug in your headset, and you are good to go.

Why should online sellers consider VR portals?

Gone are those when you have to visit a shop when you suddenly develop an urge to buy a new pair of shoes or any latest home appliance. The internet has given us the freedom to buy whenever, whatever we please. The eCommerce businesses are killing it where sales are involved. The features of VR and eCommerce are closely related - both are basically real-world experiences that have been replicated digitally. They both compliment each other well, which means as an eCommerce merchant, you can see some substantial advantages of using VR as a marketing device.

Many online merchants are effectively using VR as a part of their integrated marketing strategies. In an age where content is recognized as one of the driving factors behind lead generations, VR is an excellent way of creating an unforgettable customer experience that will really last.  

Think about it: What is more alluring, reading a description of a dress or virtually trying that dress on in different colours along with the accessories? 

eCommerce sellers should take note: Virtual reality can reinvent your shopping experience, enabling you to build enticing experiences that re-enact the traditional shopping trip, but from the comfort of the customer's home or from anywhere around the world. This has the competence to alter the way we do shopping entirely, and online merchants should start preparing for the VR revolution before they get left behind.

What are the advantages of VR websites for businesses?

1. One step ahead of your rivals:

In order to attract online visitors to your site and increase your booking or sales, it is essential to give your Web users unparalleled access to VR video. If you want to stay ahead of your rivals, you need to keep your potential customers for a longer duration in your homepage by enabling them to interact with your products and services. A simple click of the mouse will not be enough if you want to establish confidence with your customer. A virtual reality website will give your company an opportunity to create experiences that will reach your audience through unique interaction rather than just a plain text. 

2. Fully Immersive customer experience:

VR can create an immersive, rich, and most importantly, memorable shopping experience by giving the customer a total sense of presence which is much richer than those we experience in traditional stores. They are more likely to develop an immediate, lasting emotional connection by experiencing a product, physical business location, or a showroom in virtual reality. 

3. Transform of the idea ‘Try before you buy’:

Web VR has transformed the ‘Try before you buy’ concept. With many companies integrating VR technologies into the customer experience, the idea of ‘try before you buy’ grows tremendously. ‘Try before you fly’, ‘Look before you book’ all these immerse consumers in the unique product experience. Imagine that you are on a hotel booking website and you want to book a room in a particular hotel. You are not sure whether to go to that hotel or not. WebVR gives you an opportunity to walk virtually and have a look at your entire property. This will provide more information to the customers in order to make an informed decision.

4. VR portal reduce language barriers:

If a picture is worth a thousand words, a VR website must be more than a million. By demonstrating the product’s worth by showing rather than saying is much easier. Also, it can be more helpful by demoing complex products, particularly to someone who speaks a different language than you.   

In what ways can you use VR websites in eCommerce?

Imagine sitting on your sofa, wearing a VR headset and getting the feel of the expo, live events or watching a product demo. This is how virtual reality has wholly altered the way people used to watch events as well as shop. Without making a single step from the comfort of your home, you can reach a new place of your desire. 

Let’s look at the ways you can get the most out of VR as an eCommerce merchant. How can you offer your customer a VR shopping experience, and how other brands are already gaining the rewards VR has to offer.

1. Real-time customer feedback

Are you seeking ways to ensure that you form a strong emotional relationship with your clients? Traditional concepts are passe because businesses now have to formulate strategies to let consumers experience memorable experiences. VR websites are the best way to do it. Customer experience is the most important factor for a prosperous business, and the feedback of the customer is a crucial aspect of it.  People are bored with the standard ideas that are offered today. It is imperative to offer, which is innovative, engaging, and appealing, i.e. a WebVR experience.

Offer new experiences to your clients, allow them to feel amazing and let them have a unique experience of virtual reality. 

Happy customer - a successful business. 

Companies who want to stay in the market must contribute to the customer’s experience. And a virtual reality portal is the best approach to do it.

2. A compelling story of your product

Nothing is authentic anymore. But don't let this put a dampener on your product. You can still make your product stand out. Although there might be numerous other products like yours, do they have the same emotional and engaging backstory? No, they don't. This is how you distinguish your brand - by selling it with a story behind it.

You should develop a story that appeals to your audience. Doing this would help them to connect with you emotionally. It also allows communicating with them on a much deeper level rather than just giving your product the hard sell. 

Let’s say you make hand-made cashmere products. You could use VR to give a full 360-degree showcase of how the process of making the pashmina product is ethically sourced. You can take your customers on the journey how the local people comb the undercoat of a goat. What is the process of spinning, weaving, and dyeing. Your customers can experience all of this through the magic of VR, instead of just reading about it on the website.

3. Testing of the product

One of the reasons that many customers are cautious of making an online purchase is they don’t get a good idea of what the product will look like. Before they buy anything, they have an innate desire to try first, with 58% prefer to buy a product after they have been offered a chance to test it first. VR websites give the customers a product view from 360 degrees, from all possible angles and providing a better outlook of what they are buying. 

Although there are apps that can offer a 360-degree product view, but to view a product on screen does not compete with the product that is being digitally checked. There are already plenty of eCommerce retailers taking advantage of virtual reality that allow its customers to buy products digitally rather than visiting a store. 

An example of this is a beauty brand - Sephora. Sephora Virtual Artist app makes use of VR technology on its shopping application to deliver a personalized shopping experience. This app enables users to try different products before deciding what to buy. In addition to this, they can also learn the make-up tutorial with their extensive video coverage. This results in boosting user engagement, conversions and reducing refunds. I played around the app and used their virtual tutorial; they are very cool. It shows you how to contour, where to apply highlighter on your face than guessing after watching a YouTube video. 

4. Launching Live events

The main problem with live events is getting people to attend them. Don’t get us wrong. We are not saying that your events are not worthy of attending, what we mean is many of them don’t get the opportunity to visit it. It might be because of the distance or unable to make it there physically.

The fantastic thing about virtual reality is you can bring the event to your audience instead of vice versa. By integrating a VR feature into your live events can broaden your audience by reaching those who would like to attend the events but cannot as it is held at different parts of the globe.

Excitingly, VR allows everybody to sit in the front row seats of the shows - literally. VR lets everyone sit on the front row, so no one is left sitting at the back, trying to make out the way to see the details of whatever is being showcased. This will go a long way to enhance the experience of your audience, therefore, offering them a more optimistic impression of your brand. 

Let’s take the example of a New York Fashion Week.  Even though the show itself was in New York City, via VR technology, the visitors had an opportunity to present in Milan for the “Dreaming of Italy” show. All the New York fashion lovers were able to watch fully immersive, 360-degree videos of fashion collections through the Samsung Gear VR headset. Anyone attending the VR fashion show has the complete feeling of being present in an exquisitely furnished room with models in beautiful outfits parading right in front of them.

The best part of this technology is you can host the events with reduced costs by creating a virtual experience instead of physical ones. It can also bring more customers to the brand who could not otherwise visit the events. So, VR will definitely increase the brand’s presence as well as awareness and get more sales.

So, if eCommerce is your playfield, it is worth investing in VR technology with the help of virtual reality applications. When implemented effectively, this cutting-edge technology not only provides an engaging experience by setting your brand apart but also bridges the touch feel of the gap of online customers.  

Begin with a clear vision of who is your target audience and what kind of experience you want them to have. Be clear what you would like to achieve, what are your goals and the scope of the project. Understand the technology that can transform your idea into reality, hire a VR developer who can build a virtual world for you. Virtual reality should tell more about experiences than technology, make sure it provides value and offers customers the experience they won’t find anywhere else.

What’s more exhilarating?

We get to see the historical changes unfold before our very eyes. 

Conclusion

If you want to survive in the hyper-competition market of today, make sure your brand stands out of the crowd. The secret is to emotionally involve customers, reaping the benefit of technology to improve customer engagement and drive sales. In one word: with your VR website provide an outstanding digital experience to your customer. 

Being the best VR game development company, Logic Simplified has a rich talent pool of virtual reality game developers experienced in all the latest technology. We develop the best VR applications. The experts of the company work smartly on VR development technologies and tools to provide you with the best solutions for your high-tech needs. The team of experienced, passionate, self-driven game designers and developers deliver custom-tailored solutions. To know more, just drop us an email at enquiry@logicsimplified.com

What it takes for VR game development

Beginning with the tech stack, Unity and Unreal Engine are the two most popular game engines which Virtual Reality game developers are currently using to build enthralling VR games. Well, one big reason why Unity and Unreal are among the top choices for VR game development is they both are supported by most VR devices, which expands the market reach. However, both Unity which uses C# and Unreal which uses C/C++ have a steep learning curve. Many gaming businesses in the world are dealing with this by outsourcing to VR game developers in India who are highly-skilled and have hand-on experience of using those game engines for building VR games.    Blender is a great tool for creating a 3D pipeline with modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, composing, and motion tracking. 3ds Max and Maya are also popular for 3D modeling and rendering. 

OSVR/OpenVR is a project that helps developers detect, configure, and operate VR hardware which is a great way to use headsets and controllers from all vendors with any game or other VR software. For web-based solutions, WebXR Device API provides the capability to find compatible VR output devices, render a 3D scene to the device at an appropriate frame rate and create vectors representing the movements of input controls. Then there are many SDKs available for VR game development like PSVR dev kit, Oculus SDK, Google VR SDK and more.

Also read 5 best Playstation VR games created by virtual reality development companies.

Now, let's learn about two important factors to take into consideration while building VR games.

VR Games are highly sensitive

The techniques to build a VR game are very different from that of single-screen games. Since VR games aim at the user's literal immersion in the environment, there could be few things that can confuse the brain of the users and make them feel nauseated. It could happen when a user is wearing a VR headset and experiencing the environment that is moving but the body is stationary. One way to solve this problem is to provide a fixed reference point, such as a horizon line or a dashboard that stays with players as they move. Also, when designing a VR game it’s important to provide environmental comfort, so a virtual space that you create shouldn't be too big as users may get lost and shouldn't be too small as users may feel claustrophobic.

Below diagrams illustrate the comfortable range of motion and viewing zones.

Source: Mike Alger, Alex Chu

Good Performance Optimization

Good performance optimization is a must for VR games. The frame rate should not go below 60 FPS as it can cause nausea or motion sickness. The target should ideally be 90 FPS which is challenging because of the unique overhead created by a VR headset and controls. So, it becomes important to strongly optimize your VR game and provide players high-fidelity VR content that doesn’t look fake.

Four Types of Graphics Used in VR Game Development

It’s not too costly to design your VR game in 2D and 3D, but photorealistic and 360 panoramic graphics are on a little expensive side especially if you want to imitate nature and add interactive elements. VR mostly requires designing skills, environment artists and 3D modelers which is why it’s highly recommended to get a VR game done by a professional game art studio which has skilled resources for VR game design and development.

As far as the target devices are concerned you can choose from light mobile VR, premium mobile VR, PC VR-headsets, standalone solutions like Oculus Go and console VR like Sony Playstation VR. Unity and Unreal Engine have all the capabilities to build VR games for all the above target devices. VR game creation has its own challenges which is why it’s important to start with a very simple prototype (MVP) and test it early so that you head in the right direction from the beginning. Don’t underestimate testing as you develop your VR game. Another thing that heavily factors in the success of your VR game is how you build the difficulty levels for players. As VR is still a new concept for many players, it becomes important to provide players enough time to familiarise themselves with the environment and the controls and then make things complicated for them. With continuous and fast improvement in the hardware, it’s now possible for VR game app developers to optimize the rendering of design and architecture. For the technology part, there’s a wide range of game engines, tools, SDKs and libraries to choose from for building the next VR mania. Logic Simplified can help you not just build a VR game but tell you what will work for you based on industry trends and competition landscape.

Why Choose Logic Simplified for VR Game Development?

Logic Simplified has been providing game development services for more than nine years now. At Logic Simplified we have always embraced new technologies to provide gaming experiences that modern gamers expect from video games of today. And, Virtual Reality games are no different. Our passionate team of game designers, 2D/3D modelers, animators, developers, testers and SMEs can help you convert your VR game idea into a reality by using technologies best suited for your game. With our rich experience in the gaming industry, we are in a very good position to tell you what works in the gaming industry and what doesn’t which turns out to be a big differentiator when it comes to making a VR game profitable. We do a high level of brainstorming and prototyping to ensure that the  immersive experience of looking around is exclusive. Our skilled VR game developers use various methods  to optimize lighting and performance so that the camera renders only what is visible. One way to that is using baked lighting instead of costly dynamic light and use of occlusion based culling. There’s a lot of things that go in VR game development and we can tell you all once we understand your game, scope and requirements. Get in touch with us by writing at enquiry@logicsimplified.com and we will get back to you shortly to provide you VR gaming solutions that fit your game the best.

Now, no matter however good a new technology seems today, it’s only bound to evolve for better as we all have learnt from history and especially in the past two-three decades. And, Extended Reality (XR) is yet another example that strongly vouches for that, with many tech-evangelists of today putting high stakes on creating a world that I would say imaginary for many people now. How about visiting Mars during lunch break or attending a business meeting in Spain or shopping in a retail store from the comfort of your home? The possibilities of XR are huge across every market.

What is Extended Reality?

Extended Reality is an umbrella term that comprises AR, VR, MR and all future realities that the technology can bring to affect machine-humans interactions. The rise in sales of AR/VR devices signals a bright future of XR that is not at the horizon. According to Visual Capitalist, the global XR reality market value is expected to surge eightfold in the next four years, i.e. a $209 billion market by 2023, up 800% from  $27 Billion in 2018. Businesses across almost every market are now prepping up to use XR to completely transform the way they interact with the media and facilitate a completely immersive experience for users by allowing seamless interaction between the real and virtual worlds. That the XR applications are very wide in scope, I am discussing the 5 real-world applications of XR already existing or in the making.

5 Real-World Extended Reality Applications for Businesses

1. Entertainment

The video games industry has been the early and foremost user of XR, with its share in XR market accounting for 34%. By using various tools and frameworks to build XR games, many game developers are creating interactive 3D media experiences for players to make them feel as if they are playing in a real environment. How about basking in Star Wars surrounding where Darth Vader is himself present? Vader Immortal is a VR game that brings an immersive experience of how it actually feels to be in the Star Wars world. You can play this VR game using Oculus Quest headset. India has quickly become a top destination of virtual reality game developers for creating highly immersive video games that meet the expectations of today's modern gamers.

However, it’s not only gaming that is leveraging XR to provide a full-fledged immersive experience, but movies, music, sports events too. You can think of visiting a museum or watching a soccer match in a stadium from the comfort of your home but feeling completely immersed in the event. For instance, Liam Payne, an English singer and songwriter, joined hands with MelodyVR in 2018 for a live concert broadcast.

XR can also help build multi-purpose studios that will save both time and cost of building an elaborate movie set. Movie actors can rehearse in an immersive virtual environment to get the real feel of the scene and improve their performance. As I said earlier, the possibilities are huge.  

2. Education and Training

XR holds great potential to change the way how we get education and training. XR will help military personnel, medical students, surgeons, firefighters, pilots and more to get trained and educated in low-risk, virtual environments to master the skills quickly and without spending a hefty amount of money. So, instead of turning pages of a manual, employees can easily focus on the task in a simulated environment built using XR. Remote learning is another strong aspect of XR that will solve the long-lived problem of distance barriers. 

3. Retail

For the retail sector, features like in-store navigation, try-before-you-buy, personalized offers, etc., will only become common in the future. XR is the way forward for the retail sector to improve customer management, offer personalized experiences, execute engaging marketing strategies and train employees. Buyers will be able to try a watch, shoes or jeans from the comfort of their home in the near future. In fact, ASOS, a general merchandise and apparel retailer in the UK, is already using AR to help customers try clothing on different body types so that they can feel confident about fit and reduce the number of returns.  

4. Real Estate

Real Estate businesses will use XR to allow buyers to view and experience properties without having to be physically present. Interior designers and architects will also be able to experiment with their designs and avoid mistakes. The convenience of viewing an entire house while sitting in a different city or even in a different country and also see how your furniture fits into it will be the next big thing as far as future services of the real estate sector are concerned. 

5. Healthcare

Healthcare is definitely one area that XR would greatly impact. Medical students will be able to practice surgery on virtual patients and visualize the complexities of the organs in 3D. Surgeons will also be able to use robotic arms to perform a surgery resulting in accurate, smaller incisions, reduced blood loss and faster recovery. XR will also be used to treat psychological diseases by fooling the brain into a virtual experience that makes feel good or subside the harrowing memories that may lead to PTSD. There are endless solutions that can be developed for the healthcare sector using XR.

From the perspective of end-user, XR market has other categories as well, such as manufacturing and industrial, transportation, etc. There are many real-world problems that can be solved using the power of extended reality. 

Logic Simplified, a game app developer based in Dehradun, India, can help you turn your XR video game idea or virtual training idea into a reality. We have a talented team of AR game developers and VR game developers to take your XR game idea forward so that you only focus on the core activity of your business which is growing it, we take care of the rest. We are not just technology experts but are equipped with BAs and SMEs as well who clearly layout business requirements and offer solutions that fit the most. For any query related to extended reality development, feel free to contact us at enquiry@logicsimplified.com and we promise to get back to you shortly to get you started on your dream project.

Batman Arkham VR

For those who are ardent fans of Batman game series, Batman Arkham will be a larger than life experience. Being in the shoes of Batman, solving the mystery which lasts about more than an hour, the game takes you to all the familiar places like Batcave and Arkham Asylum. Since it's such a small game it would be an injustice to reveal all the trivial details of the game. Nonetheless, that's one game one should play to experience an immersive gameplay in the murder mystery.

Price: $19.99

RIGS Mechanized Combat League

Source: Playstion Europe

RIGS is a first-person multiplayer deathmatch game where you're seated in the cockpit of a mech. It's a fabulous VR game where you get to choose from 24 RIGS and football modes.

Price: $49.99

Eve Valkyrie

A first-person space-fighting game is the epitome of Virtual Reality for every gamer. After its success on Oculus Rift, Eve Valkyrie is all set to take the PSVR players on a journey in Eve: the online Universe. You can have fun sessions with your friends and death is too magical to be missed out in the game. However, motion sickness may be experienced in the game.

Price: $49.99

PlayStation VR Worlds

Source: Playstion Europe

For people who are experimenting with Virtual Reality for the very first time, VR Worlds can be a really thrilling VR games for them as the game caters a variety of virtual reality experiences. From being trapped in the shark cage to being in the shoes of a jewel thief to shooting games. Basically, there is no special connection between all the games but the game is perfectly designed to ease the new players into the virtual reality sphere.

Price: $24

Thumper

Source: Youtube

Bright lights running along a track in the middle of the screen with a thumping rhythm in the background depicts a familiar design for rhythm games. A metallic beetle racing along these tracks is controlled by the player. As the game proceeds, the game's tempo builds from slow to a thunder lightning speed. You will have to jump, shift, dodge and drift in the game. Failing to do so will either cause the sequence to loop or the death of the beetle. Restarting the game and playing again to reach the point where you died isn't much of a hard work since the game levels are divided into small portions. So, the player reaches the desired point in no time.

Price: $20

Various game development companies are in continuous effort to build many more exciting games, like Resident Evil 7 and Star Trek: Bridge Crew are due for launch in 2017. As we have witnessed that 2016 has been a year of a wide variety of VR headsets, more and more virtual reality development companies are expected to bring a much broader array of more thrilling VR games in the market next year. If you also have a playstation VR game development idea and want to cash in this wonderful opportunity, Logic Simplified, the top game development company can help you hire VR game developers to convert your amazing idea into a reality. To discuss your idea with us and get started swiftly, please write to us at enquiry@logicsimplified.com.

The $399 PlayStation VR does not include PlayStation Camera and two Movement Controllers. But for $499, you can buy a complete kit, sold by Sony, which includes everything to get you started if you don't own PlayStation Camera and other pre-requisites. PlayStation VR is, undoubtedly, a great deal for people who have all the hardware in addition to the PS4.

WHAT'S THERE IN-THE-BOX?

• a PlayStation VR headset
• a processor unit
• an HDMI cable
• a set of in-ear headphones
• power cables
• lens-cleaning cloth
• a demo disk
• instruction manuals

The setup of the PSVR is highly similar to that of the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive only that it is a bit less complex. It takes around 15-20mins for a beginner to complete the whole setup.

The processing unit helps carry out the object-based 3D audio processing i.e. you can trace the exact location of the sounds in the game which makes the overall experience terrific. It also renders the image you see in the VR onto your TV screen although at a low framerate and resolution. The headset contains inline buttons to control the volume of the game with an ease.

DISPLAY QUALITY

As discussed, the display quality of PSVR is of lower quality as compared to Oculus Rift and HTC Vive as they offer high screen resolutions depending upon the PC specs while PSVR doesn't come out of its comfy zone since it is powered by PS4.

• 5.7-inch OLED Screen
• Resolution: 1,920 x RGB x 1,080 (960 x RGB x 1,080 per eye) Oculus and Vive deliver a 2,160 x12,00 resolution to each eye
• Refresh Rate: 120Hz, 90Hz
• 100-degree field of view
• Integrated microphone, accelerometer, gyroscopes

However, PSVR allows you to play non-VR games and watch movies in cinematic mode as well. There exists three virtual screen sizes for the same i.e. S(117 inches), M(163 Inches), L(226 inches).

WHAT TO EXPECT?

Sony PlayStation VR is not much demanding on Space. Only 10x6 foot area is needed to immerse into the virtual world. However, you cannot play with it for longer durations as it is not the lightest one out there. It becomes a little uncomfortable after a continuous usage of 30-40 mins, not because of the motion sickness but because of its weight.

Also, there a slight gap beneath the device even if you wear the device properly. In low-light conditions, it works great and the gap is almost negligible. Since you're so much engaged in the game, this gap is hardly being noticed.

The best part of PSVR is that it allows 360 degrees movement, just as the HTC Vive does, as it has two sensor lights at the back of the headset. However, sometimes there is a little off tracking on the part of the camera to detect the hand controllers when a player is turned around 360 degrees while HTC Vive does great on this. Oculus Rift, on the other hand, does not even have the hand controllers until now but plans to launch Rift Touch controllers later at the end of the year.

Let us take a look at the pros and cons of the PSVR here:

Pros:

• Cost effective over Oculus Rift and HTC Vive
• Headsets are pretty good
• Works with glasses as well, comfy to wear
• Simple setup
• Elevates standard PS4 experience
• Allow non-VR games(cinematic mode) and can watch movies

Cons:

• Need to unplug the processor to shut it down
• Need to buy PS4 if you don't have one
• PS4 console needs another USB port to charge the controllers
• The gap you see beneath the headset
• Standard over-the-ear headphones won't fit because of its bulky nature but gaming headsets might be adaptable.

CONCLUSION

Many virtual reality development companies are building VR games for playstation as PlayStation VR is the most budget friendly VR device and has over 40 million PlayStation owners. If you don't already own a PS4, I would recommend you to watch out for the PS4 Pro to see the compatibility between the two devices.

The headset is very comfortable to wear and the headphones do full justice to highly immersive VR games. PSVR comes at a much better price than Oculus Rift. However, it gives less prominent details and scores a little low for an immersive experience when compared to HTC Vive. Certainly, with PSVR you're bound to get the best of the both worlds at a very affordable price and that's something really good.

If you also want to build a VR game of play station, Logic Simplified can help you hire game designers and developers to build VR games that offer players highly immersive and enthralling experiences. We have a team of expert VR game developers for hire who know what all and exactly go in Playstation game development, and thus can help you build a next gaming mania. Contact us if you are looking for a reputed game studio for hire or email us your requirements at enquiry@logicsimplified.com.