Hi there,
As a newbie to XR can I ask what easiest XR platform is to move a relatively basic ue4 game over to XR.
I have a meta 2 headset, would this be quite straightforward to do or would a different headset be better suited to a basic ue4 game?
very lost would appreciate some help if possible
Hey there @Delta1! Welcome back to the community! So depending on how “basic” the game is, sticking with PCVR is the easiest way, as many general purpose platforms are working in the OpenXR runtime. If you are going for specific platform stores, oculus/meta Quest 2 is great.
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If you have a PC VR solution already (like a Valve Index or somesuch) then using that is probably easiest. (Although getting the “X” part with camera pass-through of course doesn’t work on many of those headsets.)
If you don’t have the PC VR, but have the Meta Quest hardware already, that’s a perfectly fine place to get started, too.
Sorry for the late reply I have neither PC nor any other VR setup.
As a newbie that will be using VR typically for older people what would you recommend?
I know the Valve Index and these higher end setups are probably not ideal because of the need for trailing wires and are quite an expensive purchase in the first place.
Could I develop easily on my PC using UE5 for something inexpensive like meta quest 1/2?
is it easy to do using an existing PC based ue5 game I already have?
Apologies for any confusion guys, I’m very lost tbh, but would really appreciate some help.
Huge thanks guys!
As of August, it will no longer be possible to ship Quest 1 games or support them, so no matter how cheap you can find one, there isn’t much point to it unless you only plan on supporting PC VR, which is not what most people use, and is not friendly for older/less computer literate users who probably don’t have a VR-capable PC.
So buy a Quest 3 (or 2 if you’re on a budget), download the free VR Expansion Plugin, then you can get started.
You could definitely work from a cheaper Quest platform, specifically the 2 or 3 as Noetic mentioned the Quest 1 is losing support sooner than later. I personally use a Quest 2 for most of my VR development. In my experience these platforms are perfect for getting into VR development on a budget, as you can still develop PCVR with them and their own markets have a decent install base. That said, wireless is always going to be restrictive due to the hardware itself and the shear amount of information streaming, so if you’re working on higher end experiences the pricier PCVR options are sometimes preferred. As Noetic also mentioned, the VR expansion plugin is a lifesaver for getting VR projects rolling quickly and it’s well documented.
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Thanks for the info guys, is there an agreed way/method to conveniently convert an existing ue4/5 game over to VR, particularly Quest 2?
It’s usually on a case by case basis, due to the nature of VR and how VR gameplay elements differ from regular games, but I can list some tips to look into when starting the process. I’ll also leave a link to a method to quickly previs a project for basic VR and have examples, but you’ll still need to actually refactor your project to utilize it, also if using the VR extended tools this is less useful since many pieces get replaced.
-Keep lighting as simple as possible if dynamic and avoid heavy post processing for performance concerns and post processing effects in VR can be an accessibility concern. Smaller textures are essential in all forms of VR due to how heavy rendering two viewports at once can be.
-Accessibility wise, try to incorporate multiple industry standard movement types if your game supports it. Like snap and smooth rotations, teleport and smooth walking. Options for darkening the peripheral to help minimize motion sickness. etc.
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HUGE thanks!
I’ll be starting my VR journey very soon with UE5!
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