Top VR Developer Questions and Answers

Whether you’re just starting your journey or are an established VR developer, there are questions that will arise throughout the development process. During Connect 2021, we hosted a Rapid Fire segment in which we answered some of the most common questions asked by developers. We hope these answers provide guidance and help as you continue building exciting and immersive VR experiences.

Oculus Start and Launch Pad were created to help new developers gain the necessary resources and training to be successful. To apply for Start, you’ll need to submit a Quest or Rift application, but your app doesn’t need to be polished to the level of quality expected for apps approved for distribution. The main aspect Start team members are looking for when evaluating applications is a functioning app and a strong proof of concept. For example, a vertical slice of the experience you’re working on will prove to Start team members that you have a solid vision and the necessary technical skills.

Oculus Launch Pad is designed to support promising VR content creators from diverse backgrounds as they iterate on their unique ideas and bring them to market. The program runs August - September of the following year, and you can apply to the program each summer. A VR project is not required to apply.

Yes, Oculus Start is specifically designed to help small and indie developers find their footing within our platform. Some of the most popular apps in the Store were started by small teams without major funding. We want VR development to be accessible to all developers, and we work towards this goal by providing support and resources through our programs.

We created App Lab so anyone can distribute apps directly to the community, safely and securely. App Lab enables you to experiment with new features, build an engaged community of power users, and gather feedback. Many third party aggregators highlight content in App Lab to potential audiences, which increases the reach of App Lab apps. Because App Lab titles have not been approved for the Store, many requirements for submission are reduced to make it easier to submit and iterate.

OpenXR is now the preferred API for all new applications. OpenXR simplifies AR and VR development and allows apps to reach a wider array of hardware without requiring you to port or rewrite code.

There are many important considerations, but one of the most important is accessibility. Take the time to ensure that your app is accessible to as many people as possible by reviewing the accessibility virtual reality checks (VRCs). Considering common impairments such as color blindness, limited physical reach, or hearing limitations can help you design an app that is accessible to a larger audience. Other considerations are our required VRCs, timing of your app’s launch, marketing, and localization.

One of the most important factors to consider post-launch is keeping your app updated with new content and assets.

We also recommend utilizing the Analytics in the Developer Dashboard to gain insights on how people are finding your app, how much time they’re spending in your app, demographic metrics, retention trends and much more. The Funnel and Attribution dashboards within the Analytics tab provide insight that can help you evaluate the effectiveness of your marketing efforts over time.

Visibility is another major factor to the longevity and success of your app, so talking about your app on social channels helps ensure people can learn about your title well after its launch date. For existing users of your app, utilizing the user notifications feature helps to keep audiences engaged with new events, content, and features.

No matter the size of your developer team or marketing budget, it’s crucial to observe your 28 day launch window. Tracking and archiving data using the Analytics tools can help you identify areas of strengths and areas for improvement.

We also recommend responding to user reviews and using social media platforms, press, or other channels to talk about your app as much as possible during this time frame. People want to know more about what it is, what makes it unique, and what experiences they can expect to have when engaging with your title.

There have been numerous recent feature rollouts that you can already implement into your app, including hand-tracking, Passthrough, and experimental Spatial Anchors. We expect these technologies to produce new types of apps with capabilities and interactions that expand people’s immersive experience and adoption of VR.

Many investments are being made toward enhancing social interactions and concurrency on the VR platform so that people can easily join friends and travel together across apps and experiences. While this may not appear completely new, it is important to the overall user experience and we encourage you to keep concurrency in mind when building apps.

One of the best ways to stay on top of new features is to consistently check out the Developer Blog. You’ll find case studies, showcases, and update descriptions that can help you create more immersive and engaging experiences for people to enjoy.

We expect to see a large amount of growth in narrative-focused games. VR makes storytelling more engaging, and it's one the largest gamer segments that exists today.

In recent months, we have seen large growth in the user base of fitness apps. Working out from home is in many instances cheaper and more accessible as COVID-19 remains a public health concern. We also expect to see growth in workplace-related VR use, both as an augmentation tool and as a way of conducting remote work more efficiently than with a laptop.

We developed hand-tracking and Passthrough with the conviction that they will unlock new and exciting experiences. Both technologies are in their infancy stages and still require more experimentation before we can determine how to use them most effectively. This means there’s an opportunity for you to help define how hand-tracking and Passthrough are used by audiences.

We recommend that you use the best tool for the job at hand. It’s okay if your project isn’t focused on pushing new technologies forward. What’s most important is that your finished product is high-quality, polished, and provides an enjoyable user experience.

If you have any questions, please let us know in the developer forums.