VR headsets have been around for just under 7 years, but it’s only now that its potential is being realized by the public and it's only getting better at an exponential rate.
In this guide, we discuss how to get started with Unreal Engine to develop your very own VR application or game, and get squared away with everything you need to know about the engine!
What Is Unreal Engine
Unreal Engine is a suite of tools for game development. It's used by many developers to create games, hyper-realistic rendering capabilities, physical simulations, and other virtual reality applications.
Unreal Engine is a sandbox environment that helps developers stay on top of cutting-edge VR technology by providing everything they need from the latest engine features to project templates for various VR devices.
A major reason why VR is so promising is the immersive experience it provides. Unreal Engine 4 offers seamless integration with leading VR platforms, including Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.
Unreal Engine has six features that make it a great option for creating virtual reality applications:
- Blueprint visual scripting system - allows developers to quickly prototype game mechanics without writing a single line of code.
- Content Examples project - Provides a library of assets and Blueprints that developers can immediately use in their own projects.
- NVIDIA VRWorks™ technology - Gives Unreal Engine 4 developers access to the latest advancements in VR rendering, including Multi-Res Shading and VR SLI
- Virtual Reality Template project files - The files include all the necessary assets and Blueprints for the required locomotion and interaction options.
- VorpX support
- Various API support - Allows developers to build VR applications using the tools they are already familiar with
How To Create A New Project In Unreal Engine, Step By Step
Creating a new project in Unreal Engine is a relatively simple process that only takes a few minutes.
What you need:
- Unreal Engine 4.25 or later
- Android Studio
- Enable developer mode
- A VR headset, such as the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive
- A VR-ready game engine license, which is available from unrealengine.com/buy
We made this part easy for you by watching this video to get started.
Best VR Projects Made With UE4
The best VR projects made with Unreal Engine are listed below:
- Batman Arkham VR
- Eagle Flight
- Robo Recall
- Lone Echo
- Fantastic Contraption
- Job Simulator
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR
- Raw Data
- Ace Combat 7
- Rez Infinite
and you can check out more here
Other Resources Recommended For VR Developers Using Unreal Engine
A few other resources I recommend for VR developers using Unreal Engine.
These are top talents in the VR space and there are more:
- Unreal Academy
- VR Division
- 3 Prong Gaming
- EvilEyeGames
- Devslopes
- pwnisher
- Unreal Sensei
- freeCodeCamp
