How Much Does it Cost for Virtual Reality App Development?

Virtual reality app development has changed the idea of the impossible! The future is literally here. Today, the usual computer and videogames are gradually moving into the historical archive giving way to new technologies. Now we can bring to life the most daring ideas of science fiction writers.

What is Virtual Reality and VR App Development?

And while new technologies are making the lives of some of us more fascinating, they’re also helping others win all users’ hearts and earn money. And if your business is already app-focused, it’s time to think about supplementing it with a VR effect.

Of course, the task isn’t simple and might require some financial investments; you’ll have to spend a fair amount of money to create one of the best VR apps. But the game is worth the candle.

To help you plan your budget, we’ve written our article. We hope these tips will help you figure the issue out.

Use Of Virtual Reality Development

Virtual reality development implies the creation of a world in which a person experiences the most realistic sensations. Of course, the embodiment of such a daring idea requires external tools, special devices. Among them are smartphones, 3D video cubes, glasses, and even VR rooms.

Sounds complicated but the effect is truly impressive: sometimes the impact on a person’s feelings is so strong that it’s next to impossible to distinguish an artificial environment from a real one. Today, virtual reality technologies are becoming more and more in demand in the innovation market, and their diversity is just amazing. Such success is due to the possibility of using VR apps in a variety of areas including entertainment, training, research, advertising, medical and architectural one.

Benefits Of Virtual Reality Apps

• Teachers can easily conduct classroom sessions while being geographically distant from the students. Even a novice driver can learn the basics of driving without putting himself and all around him in jeopardy.
• Watching movies have become a lot more entertaining with virtual reality. Viewers feel as if they are watching everything directly from the point of action rather than a movie screen. This helps in creating a more immersive experience.
• Language barriers can also be overcome through virtual reality. This is particularly helpful for students who are studying in a foreign country and have not yet picked up the local dialect.
• Military service members can gain an edge over post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from combats by simulating traumatic events through virtual reality technology. It helps military personnel in tolerating the disabling stressors while also assisting in dealing with phobias.
• Patients staying in physical rehabilitations often rely on virtual reality for refining their ambulatory and other skills in the clinical setting prior to moving on with its real-life equivalent.
• Decision makers can visualize the final results of urban planning and architectural design projects well in advance by banking on the wings of virtual reality. Modern-day websites are offering fly-reconstructions of real cities which can be enjoyed by simply incorporating the onscreen view to a VR headset.
• The world of gaming has attained a completely new makeover since the advent of virtual reality technology. Gamers can turn watching a flat-screen computer into a real-life experience by simply putting on VR headsets or goggles.

Difference Between AR Apps And VR Apps

Undoubtedly, virtual reality application development is a new level of innovative achievements which opens up tremendous prospects. Agree, the idea to expand the human consciousness by taking advantage of its hidden resources heats the imagination.

And if we haven’t persuaded you to hunt down a question of how to create a virtual reality app, here are a few prime examples you may find more convincing.

Good VR apps (and we mean good, mediocre work won’t do) result in increased user engagement. The thing is that virtual reality technology and applications are the first inventions capable of transmitting sounds, smells, and touches in a real-time mode and generating situations which are possible (and impossible) in a person’s everyday life thereby revealing human potential. And your users will pay tribute to your desire to extend their habitual experience.

Virtual reality development tools help you to communicate your idea to the consumer more clearly. You may publish images of your store, and it’s not so bad either, but virtuality is a chance to immerse your customer in its atmosphere in the literal sense of the word.

All of the above leads to a significant increase in the loyalty of your customers. And loyalty and profitability are interrelated concepts.

Of course, you are also interested in the iOS and Android VR app development costs, and we’ll certainly satisfy your curiosity. But first, we’d like to answer another important question, namely…

How to Earn Money from Virtual Reality App Development?

In short, the system is quite simple: either you are trying to find proper advertisers (sponsors using your virtual reality development software as an advertising platform), or you offer a user a free basic functionality with the right to access other features for a modest fee. It can be implemented in the form of built-in purchases or a monthly subscription system.

Initial Virtual Reality app Development Requirements

Any project should start with the documentation, the so-called functional specification. And first of all, you’ll have to fill out the brief which you’ll be offered by virtual reality applications companies. Your task is to describe in detail how you see the future mobile service, one of the new VR apps. This information is going to form the basis of the functional specification – a document reflecting your wishes.

Such a document would greatly simplify the process of virtual reality technology development, and the team you’ve hired will have a real chance to justify your expectation.

When filling out the brief, you keep in mind the following factors:

• objectives of the project
• key app features
• best monetization options
• user dreams which you want to make true (or their problems you’d like to solve).

So, summing up: a clear description of the task leads to your getting exactly what you expect.

Well, now it’s time to move on to the most interesting issue, namely, the price for virtual reality Android/iOS development! So…

Factors Behind Cost Of Virtual App Development

Let’s analyze in stages which factors are forming the price when developing the VR app.

#1. The reputation of the Virtual Reality Development Companies

Of course, the more experienced application developers are, the more money they ask for their services. And their expertise inevitably affects your final costs… but, on the other hand, the quality is also better (given the qualifications!).

And if you want to save money, choose the golden mean: don’t pay if all they can boast of is just a stellar name, make sure you are offered the highest quality services.

#2. Virtual Reality App Developers Location

It’s also important to take into account the company location. Experts from a country with a high living standard have greater demands – it’s only natural! Alas, their wishes regarding their own earnings don’t always positively influence the quality of work. And, in fact, finding a contractor with the same experience but lower rates (due to the location factor) is not such a problem.

Therefore, if you have a limited budget, choose specialists from Eastern Europe: their rates are quite moderate, and the level of work is still high.

But Eastern Europe is rather large, which country to choose? We advise hiring a Ukrainian team: Ukrainian experts are very knowledgeable about IT technologies and ask for $30-50 per hour of work. Of course, programmers from India are even cheaper, but they usually write a non-quality code which doesn’t differ in clarity and purity.

To make sure we’re not unfounded; compare the rates of developers from different countries.

#3. VR Apps Complexity Level

Virtual reality applications cannot be cheap, their implementation requires certain professional skills, and not every developer is qualified enough to create such a difficult mobile service. However, the concept of high cost has different degrees. Let’s discuss it at length!

The simplest applications, such as elementary games. Their creation takes about 3-5 weeks; applications of medium complexity, say, an online store or a more complex game. The development of the virtual reality of such a type takes about 4-6 months; complex applications. The development time lasts from a year (and 1 year isn’t the limit!).

If you’re concerned about the cost factor, try to simplify the functionality of your application and remove all the expensive features. Leave only the most significant ones.

#4. Virtual Reality App Platforms

In the process of developing virtual reality applications, one should focus on the following platforms:

• Gohar VR
• Oculus Rift
• Google Cardboard
• HTC Vive

#5. Payment Methods

The most affordable option is a fixed price project when you have an approved budget, and your developers should not overrun it. Of course, this version of payment has its drawbacks. And the main one is that you, too, are limited to your budget and cannot come up with new bright ideas (if you have them). All VR apps requirements must be determined in advance and documented.

However, if you’re willing to pay for higher quality, it’s best to choose a more flexible pricing system based on the specifics of your particular project. Think about how your application should look like in order to meet your expectations and fulfill the tasks assigned to it. Consult with a hired professional team, let its experts advise you on how best to translate the idea into reality. In this case, obviously, it’s impossible to determine the exact application development cost beforehand, but it can be said with certainty that your VR service would benefit you.

Future Scope in Virtual Reality App Development

Let’s discuss what experts you’ll need for developing virtual reality applications. So:

• Project Manager: His task is to do project management, discuss its state with the client and serve as a link between the developer and the customer.
• Designers: The classic principles of two-dimensional interface design don’t work when it comes to virtual reality display technologies. In this case, you need to experiment with new abstractions. And designers working in a three-dimensional environment are high-class specialists, and therefore their services greatly increase the cost of the project.
• Developers: You’ll need at least three (and sometimes more) experts to start app development. They’ll have to create an application able to work on different platforms and compatible with various devices.
• QA engineers: Without these specialists, it’s dangerous to release the application. They should guarantee that the created service works smoothly and without any troubles.

We’ve settled all the preliminary issues, now it’s time to proceed to the main question: how much does VR application development cost? Let’s summarize…

In general, virtual reality application development takes from a month to several years. As we said, it all depends on your basic requirements. The more complex the program, the more time its implementation should last. Of course, the final price would also be higher…

We guess it would be reasonable to list the main development stages. It’ll provide insight into the matter:

• Market research: The obligatory stage which allows one to orientate to the market situation and offer the client the optimal solution.
• Project documentation: At the 2nd stage, all app requirements are being compiled and documented, along with the specifying deadlines.
• Prototyping: The goal of the stage is to develop and visualize the logic and structure of the application. Understanding how each screen of your service will look like, you’ll be able to make the necessary adjustments in a timely manner.
• Design: As we’ve already explained to you, the UI/UX stage requires a special approach and skill level. Therefore, time costs are accordingly increasing.
• Programming: This is the most crucial part of the VR app development process which involves writing clear and understandable code.
• Testing: At the next stage, QA engineers conduct various tests to ensure the efficiency and error-free operation of your virtual reality mobile service.
• Release and support of the application: the final (but no less important) step in the development process when VR apps finally appear in stores AppStore and Google Play.

Conclusion

So, now you know almost everything about how to create a virtual reality app. Are you ready to take risks and improve your business through unique VR technologies? Then don’t hesitate, hire our top mobile app developers right now! Our company employs only highly professional specialists who are keen on their business and willing to take up a challenge.