For many of us developers, Virtual Reality (VR) represents a relatively untapped market for unique games that take advantage of an amazing new technology. VR has the ability to drop our players directly into our digital worlds and provide them with an experience they cannot get anywhere else. However, the skills that are needed to adopt this new technology and create these worlds are not yet widespread and easy to come by. Our goal is to change this and help spread the word about the power of VR.
Epic Games has been a long-time supporter of VR. Over the last several versions, Unreal Engine 4 has expanded its support for VR and continues to optimize its software to allow more developers to do amazing things. On the hardware side of things, both the number of manufacturers and the capabilities of the VR headsets on the market continue to increase. Many developers are making apps for the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, though there are several other options to choose from, including PlayStation VR, Samsung Gear VR, and Windows Mixed Reality Headsets.
Whichever you choose, this book can help you on your journey of working with VR. Over the course of the book, we will look at how to design for VR. We will program flexible interaction systems for this unique environment, create user interface elements, and discuss the specific game art needs of the medium. Finally, we will wrap up with a game prototype and prepare it for distribution.