Virtual Reality Game Development: What Does It Cost?

The Virtual Reality (“VR”) revolution is well underway. The past few years have seen virtual reality apps and games leave the domain of science fiction and find their way into our daily lives. At its core, VR involves a seamless marriage of advanced hardware and applications or games to create a simulated environment that is often indistinguishable from ‘reality’. It’s indisputably the ‘next big thing’ in tech.

Source: https://www.freepik.com/

Even novice users of technology have probably interacted with a VR app as the technology inches toward ubiquity. Unlike traditional applications that are interacted with on a desktop or mobile screen, VR applications offer a three-dimensional experience, often with immersive video and audio, and sometimes even tactile feedback, like simulated touch. Environments created by VR apps and games can range from the everyday– such as a virtual walkthrough of a home for sale on a real estate agency website– to the fantastical, such as Skyrim VR, a VR-version of the popular Skyrim game wherein the player portrays “the Dragonborn” on their quest to defeat Alduin the World-Eater, a dragon who is prophesied to destroy the world.

Before we take an overview of a typical development timeline for VR applications, let’s take a quick look at the essential components of VR apps.

Popular VR headsets include devices like the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Sony Playstation VR, and Apple’s latest entry into the VR market, the Vision Pro. The VR headset displays the virtual environment and track the user’s head movements to adjust the on-screen perspective accordingly.

This is where the rubber meets the road for developers: the main event, as it were, if you are looking to develop VR apps and games. The software is what creates and manages the virtual environments. This includes the VR app itself, whether the app is for gaming, education, training, or business applications.

In order to be truly interactive, a VR environment also requires some sort of input device, such as a handheld controller, which are standard in many VR hardware setups. Additionally, some VR hardware also utilizes more complex combinations of input methods, such as integrating motion tracking via LiDAR scanners, voice commands via microphones, and sensor input and haptic feedback via specially designed gloves and bodysuits to provide near-total immersion into a virtual world.

Source: https://www.freepik.com/

The ‘bread and butter’ of VR is the creation of an experience that fully immerses the user in a virtual world that you will help create. This is achieve by software, in concert with hardware and other peripherals, that stimulate various senses.

Visual Immersion: A VR headset usually completely covers a user’s full field of vision, replacing their real-world view with the virtual environment. This environment can be rendered in high definition and can include interactive elements that respond in real-time to the user's actions.

Auditory Immersion: Spacial audio technology allows the creation of a surround sound experience that reinforces the realism of the virtual world. VR sound design and hardware allow for a 360-degree audio field and allow corresponding sound to come from anywhere and change dynamically with the user's movements within the environment.

Tactile Feedback: While still in relatively new compared to visual and auditory components, haptic technologies provide tactile feedback to user– often via accompanying gloves or suits worn by the user– and simulate the sensation of touch. This additional layer of realism can greatly increase the perceived ‘realism’ of interactions within the virtual environment.

Understanding these components and the precise ways they combine to create a VR experience is crucial to the development of a killer VR app or game.

To develop a VR app is to master a multidisciplinary undertaking that combines elements of software engineering, graphic design, user experience design, and more.
Though the nature of the individual production stages will vary depending on the size and nature of the app you wish to develop, the overall process follows a structured, time-tested pathway from conception to launch.

It all starts with an idea. Then, this rough idea is expanded into a more fully fleshed-out concept that outlines what the application or game will be and what it aims to achieve. During the ‘Planning’ phase, stakeholders and development teams often collaborate to define the scope of the application, its target audience, and the desired user experiences. Key determinations made during this phase might include the choice of VR platform, the scale of the environment, and the level of interactivity.

Once the overall concept is locked in, the next step is designing the user interface and experience. This part of the process will vary depending on your concept, but most prototyping and design stages involve creating detailed wireframes and mockups that map out the user's experience within the virtual environment. What’s important during this stage is creating an interface that is intuitive and ensuring the VR experience feels natural to the user. Prototyping comes next, which can be thought of as something akin to ‘storyboards’ in relation to a finished animated film: the images are black and white and often only finished enough to convey an overall rough idea of what the final film might resemble once completed.

When you create a virtual reality app, the creation of digital assets such as textures, models, and animations is essential for building an immersive world. Artists and designers work to ensure these elements are not only visually appealing but also optimized for performance, as VR applications require high frame rates to prevent user discomfort. Often, during this stage, developers begin programming interactions and defining the physics of the virtual world, which governs how objects move and react to user inputs.

Now the true software development begins in earnest. Those wondering how to develop virtual reality applications are often thinking mainly of this stage of the process. Writing the actual code that brings your VR application to life involves integrating the graphical assets with the VR software itself, ensuring that everything from the user interface to background processes works together. This stage is where the bulk of the time and effort in developing virtual reality applications is spent.

Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/reality-redefined-how-ar-vr-revolutionizing-mobile-apps-bhavekar/

Testing is critical in VR app development, and involves rigorous assessments to ensure your app is bug-free and performs well under a host of different conditions. How thorough your testing phase is often correlates with how smoothly your launch goes, as overall user satisfaction often depends on a flawless first experience with your app or game.

The deployment stage is about setting up the infrastructure needed for distribution of the app, such as servers and production databases. Once deployed, ongoing maintenance is essential to address any post-launch issues, update content, and improve the application based on user feedback.

Those looking to create a VR app often find themselves going through some version of the above process. It’s a coordinated effort requiring communication and collaboration from various teams with different skillsets. Each stage is interdependent, influencing the overall timeline and the most important aspect of VR app development: the quality of the final product.

Wherever you currently reside in your VR app development process, having a thorough familiarity with the bleeding edge of VR apps and games will allow you to create a product that is well-positioned in the existing marketplace. The VR industry continues to evolve as VR's capability to transport users into entirely new, digitally created worlds is transforming various sectors, from gaming and entertainment to retail and education.

Here, we’ll take a look at a few emerging VR industry trends:

As VR adoption increases, so too does the overall accessibility of VR hardware. Entry-level devices, such as the Samsung Gear VR, leverage the power of smartphones, reducing the need for expensive, standalone VR hardware. The projected growth in VR headset sales—from 4.46 million units in 2019 to an estimated 27.26 million by 2028—illustrates a dramatic expansion in consumer interest and market penetration.

VR hardware evolution means more immersive and interactive VR experiences. Recent advancements in haptic feedback technology and motion tracking have significantly enhanced the sensory experience within virtual environments. What this means for users is even more realistic and engaging VR experiences, such as the ability to feel textures of virtual fabrics when trying on clothes, or “feeling” realistic feedback from tools and weapons in VR games.

These advancements aren’t just limited to creating more engaging entertainment; they also play a critical role in professional and educational applications. Medical students using VR for surgical training, for example, will benefit from the ability to receive realistic tactile feedback, which will aid them in their preparation for real-life surgeries.

The Apple Vision Pro is notable for its advancement of so-called ‘Mixed Reality’ (MR) technology. This is a combination of VR with Augmented Reality to give users the ability to see the real world while simultaneously interacting with virtual objects and information overlaid onto their real environment. Applications aimed at architects and engineers, for example, could allow them to overlay digital models onto physical spaces, enabling them to create more detailed and realistic plans while streamlining their respective preparation processes.

Of particular note to those interested in making VR apps: the growing interest in VR has inevitably led to increased competition among developers and companies in the VR space. This is good news, however, for aspiring VR developers, because this competition is a driving force behind innovation, as companies strive to differentiate their offerings and capture consumer interest to create new and exciting virtual reality trends.

Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, the VR market continues to evolve on a level that was previously thought of as a fantasy not even a decade ago. For those looking to develop a VR app, staying ahead means not only keeping pace with technological advancements but also anticipating consumer needs and innovating accordingly to create standout VR experiences that resonate in a crowded market.

That costs to develop virtual reality apps can vary depending on the scope and complexity of the VR application concept should not be surprising for any would-be VR developer. Still, understanding the cost of developing a VR application and establishing an effective pricing policy are paramount for any aspiring developer or business looking to break into VR.

Here are some factors to consider when setting out to create an initial budget for your virtual reality development project.

Once the development cost is understood, setting a pricing policy is the next step. The strategy chosen can directly influence the market adoption and profitability of the VR application. Common pricing models include:

• Flat Fee: A one-time purchase price is an attractive model for consumers due to its straightforward scheme and is common in gaming, but can be applied toward any kind of application.

• Subscription: Commonly used by applications that will provide going content updates, support, or cloud-based services, where consumers can be convinced there’s enough value in an application to justify paying for it on an ongoing basis. On the development side, a subscription model can provide a steady revenue stream. This is ideal for applications used in business environments or those that involve continuous learning and development.

• ‘Freemium’: Offering a basic version of the application for free while charging for advanced features or additional content can attract a broader user base. This model allows users to experience the core functionalities before committing financially to more comprehensive features.

• Tiered Pricing: Offering different pricing levels can provide users with options tailored to their needs and budgets. Often, apps that employ this type of pricing structure might offer a basic version for casual users, at a lower price point, alongside a more ‘advanced’ version with additional features for professional users.

Ultimately, a ‘ball-park’ figure for the cost of a VR application or game, from initial concept to final shipped product is difficult to quantify, based on the sheer amount of variables involved in different types of development scenarios, as explicated in the above section. For example, a simple VR application might start around $20,000, while a complex, feature-rich application could easily exceed $200,000 or more. These figures include design, development, testing, and initial deployment.

For businesses, the return on investment in VR technology needs to be evaluated against the potential benefits. Whether those benefits are increased sales through immersive advertising, enhanced training procedures, or simply providing entertainment, the impact of the VR application should justify the initial development expense.

Engaging specialized companies for virtual reality (VR) application development offers significant benefits.

Here are some key advantages:

1. Expertise and Experience: As we’ve seen, the VR app development process can be rife with unforeseen challenges and setbacks, and newcomers are particularly vulnerable to this steep learning curve. Specialized VR companies possess in-depth knowledge of VR technologies and user experience best practices, ensuring applications are engaging and avoid common pitfalls like motion sickness.

2. Access to Advanced Technologies: An existing VR firm will have access to cutting-edge technology stacks, having the ability to invest in tech that is prohibitively expensive for startups.

3. Faster Time to Market: With structures already in place to meet the demands of the development process, an established virtual reality app development company can provide aspiring developers to streamline the workflow involved in shipping a finish VR product.

4. Scalability and Flexibility: Outsourcing VR development allows businesses to scale their VR projects according to current needs and budgets, offering flexibility especially valuable for companies still gauging their long-term commitment to VR.

5. Comprehensive Support and Maintenance: Beyond development, customized virtual reality app development companies provide essential post-launch support and maintenance, and the ability to quickly address bugs and user issues. This will ensure your app remains in good standing in the marketplace, which can make or break new VR apps or games.

Ultimately, while the initial cost might be higher, the long-term benefits of expertise, advanced technology, speed, flexibility, support, and risk management make partnering with specialized VR developers a strategic and effective choice for businesses aiming to succeed in the VR market.

In conclusion, while developing a killer VR app from scratch might appear to be a daunting, or even insurmountable endeavor, rest assured that plenty of developers have taken their successful VR application or game from the back of a napkin to a finished, shipped product using steps similar to those outlined in this article. Plenty of help is available along the way, and if the prospect of making your own contribution to this red-hot field, and possibly striking it rich in the process, is likely too enticing not to pursue, that may be a sign that you’ve got what it takes!