How much does vr application development cost

How much does VR application development cost?

by ThinkMobiles Team 21/11/2016 2786 Add comments

VR application development is supposed to be the future of tech. The market is just about to explode. With long expected Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Gear VR finally shipping as well as the markets old-timer Google Cardboard the year 2016 is going to be critical.

VR technology is being successfully applied in healthcare, education, military, architecture, it’s a great way for business owners to acquaint the customers with their goods and services.

Nevertheless, the market of VR app development is currently unoccupied. It is waiting for a killer app and this is a great opportunity for startuppers and running businesses to find their niche and to become the Uber of virtual reality.

You now may be wondering how much will it cost to build a VR application? This overview will show you the main stages of product estimation and help you with calculating the approximate costs of your virtual reality application development.

Pre-requirements for VR app development Every development process should start with a detailed project documentation – this is the guarantee that the VR application will exactly meet the needs of the customers.

It should include all the important information about the project. Start with functional specifications – the main idea of the VR app development, its key features. If you can include some photos, screenshots or hand sketches to illustrate the characteristics of the app – do it! 

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Project documentation for the VR app development With precise documentation, the virtual or augmented reality app developers team will be able to offer the best solution according to the needs of the customer. Don’t forget the user story,

specify which problems your potential user has and how your VR application is going to solve them. Describe the journey through the VR app development, where does the user start, which actions does he take, how much time does he spend with your virtual reality mobile app and in which way will your project make his life better.

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Knowing the user and his problems the developer will be able to find the best technical solution to make the application usage smooth and seamless. The project documentation must be a clear guide for the developers about the ideas and expectations of the customer. Sometimes some better solutions can be found – the development company will then adjust the documentation after the discussion with the customer. The project documentation can be written by the virtual and augmented reality development company. In case when the customer decides to order such a service it takes 3 to 10 days and is paid according to the rates of the company.

Project documentation for VR app development: $700-$3,400, 3-10 days VR applications are built for different devices and these are required for a proper development.

Our Unity3D developers have the most popular VR and AR headsets which are now available on the market at their disposal including: 

Oculus Rift DK1 and DK2

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Samsung Gear VR

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HTC Vive

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Microsoft HoloLens

The number of active VR users is going to increase by 400% till 2018!

VR development estimation Depending on the complexity of the app the development time can vary from 1 month up to several years. This chart will give you a brief overview about the development time of VR/AR products starting with the simplest and up to the most complicated ones.

1. Imagine a simple VR game, where the protagonist is falling (running, flying etc.) towards the finish line and has to avoid some barriers like stones, meteors or other players. The protagonist will see the changing landscapes, the coming barriers and hear the strong wind, just like he is moving indeed. This kind of games is considered to be one of the simplest virtual reality apps for iOS or Android and can be created by one developer in just one month.

2. A great application every business can take advantage of is an online-shop in 3D. Let’s assume, a company is selling watches and wants to increase the customer engagement. In

a VR or AR online shop the customer can look around the watch he liked or even try it on! Such a service will definitely improve the company sales. 3D models design for an online shop in VR or AR will last 1 month, the app development will take around 2-3 months for 2 coders, including the backend development.

3. Horror games in VR as realistic as they are with the latest technologies are the true sensation among gamers. The development of such a game will last 3-6 months and more with 3 developers involved in the process.

4. Creating 3D models for virtual reality applications is normal, but what about creating them IN virtual reality? Some VR apps make it possible. To develop a prototype of such an app will take 3-6 months.

5. One of the most complex applications that can be built with VR/AR technology is the MMORPG. The multiplayer role-playing games in virtual reality are the absolute bomb.

A VR MMORPG development can last 6-12 months and involve 10+ developers. 

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Esimation of VR app development

Want to know how much does a VR app cost?

Virtual reality applications are developed for several platforms like Gear VR, Google Cardboard, HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. This slightly affects the development time – VR applications are built with Unity3D – a cross-platform engine that allows to adjust any app for any platform in just some hours.

THINKMOBILES assigns a PM to every project it is working on. This person is making the estimation of time and resources required to successfully achieve the goal of the project.

VR development estimation: $0; 2-16 hours

Virtual and augmented reality development rates The development agency will probably let you choose between two pricing methods: fixed price and time and material. Both of them have advantages and disadvantages, so make sure you choose the one that suits your particular case most: 

Fixed price is preferred when you have a limited budget and strict deadlines. For a successful VR app development with fixed price, you have to provide a detailed project documentation.

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If you put the flexibility on the first place it is better to choose the time and material pricing method. The customer will then be able to modify the project on the go, add some new features or change the existing ones. That is why the communication between the customer and the developer agency is essential to make such a product successful, especially if you are developing virtual reality applications. Time and material pricing method allows to achieve the highest quality of the app

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Fixed preis and Time/Material Every change during the development process might result in some additional hours or even days of coding, that will be paid according to the current rates of the company.

Rates for VR application development differ according to the country Rates for VR app development differ according to the country of residence of the agency you are working with. In US and Canada, you will be charged $40-$240 per hour, in Western Europe $40-$180, in Eastern Europe $25-$70, in India – $5-$70. The best price-quality relationship offer the eastern european companies. If you decide to outsource your project to the Ukrainian developers, their services will cost you around $25-$50 per hour. Returning back to the chart of the applications, that can be created for virtual or augmented reality, approximate costs for their development will be as follows: 1. Simplest game for VR/AR – $5 000 – $8 000; 2. Online shop in virtual or augmented reality – $15 000 – $25 000; 3. Horror game – $20 000 – $80 000; 4. 3Ds Max in VR – $50 000 – $200 000; 5. MMORPG – from $100 000 

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VR app development rates worldwide Keep in mind that this numbers are approximate and vary according to the features of the app.

VR/AR development rates: $25-50 per hour Looking for a personal virtual reality e-commerce solution for your business?