Job Description

Virtual Reality Developer

As Virtual reality developer, you are those who code multifaceted, immersive VR apps and games that can run on the web and various native platforms. In short, you create simulated worlds, and a lot of effort goes into making them look realistic. Just like every VR app being different, VR developers are also not created equal. Some may be newbies who use user-friendly platforms to create simpler prototypes which some may be highly-skilled programmers who can custom-code apps from the ground up. You focus on the non-linear, complex world of VR gaming and will have the other artistic prowesses and skills that support them in bringing storylines to life with sound, music, characters, and animation skills like 3D rigging.

Some of the major platforms you develop for are:

Oculus Rift.

iOS.

HTC Vive.

Gear VR.

PS4.

The tools used by you include 3D programming engines such as:

Web VR, which is an experimental JavaScript-powered API.

OpenGL.

Cryengine.

A-Frame and Vizor web frameworks.

Unreal Engine- This uses the C++ programming language and Blueprints OOP visual scripting language.

Unity 3D that uses PlayMaker and C# visual scripting language.

Google VR SDK.

Some of the skills you will require to become a successful virtual reality developer are:

1. 3D Tools

You were from the game industry and have knowledge of 3D tools like Unreal and Unity. While unreal is used by some virtual reality developers, Unity seems to be the tool of choice for a majority of VR developers. You have an understanding of textures, scripts, objects, components, and other Unity basics that will go a long way in developing virtual reality models.

2. Software Engineering

For many years now, knowledge in C# has been a prerequisite for VR development. Though knowledge and experience in C# will be advantageous, with the rise of UnityScript and WebVR, mastering JavaScript can be a sufficient and useful replacement. You are all set in software engineering if you have knowledge in either of the two or both.

3. Sound Design

One of the first lessons you will be thought as a web developer is not to include any audio features. Right from the 2000s and until this day, auto-playing audio and video exist on sites and continue to irritate users. But integrating sound in VR experiences is very crucial to create immersive experiences. You will find it very easy to integrate audio into their projects. But web developers will have many things to learn about sound design. Aspects of sound design, such as background music, audio location, audio effects, and many other topics must be learnt to provide users with a memorable VR experience.

4. UI/UX

You would have noticed that when you surf the web that there are many pages that vary in design. But every website you come across follows common practices with shared icon meaning, user behavior patterns, hyperlinks, and much more. Though that standard does not exist in VR today, you would want to stay updated with the current trends and UX practices.

If this resonates with you, and if you are aligned with our core purpose and core values, then please reach out and chat.