What is the role of Unity Game Development in AR & VR Projects?

[Arya Stark]

What is the role of Unity Game Development in AR & VR Projects?

The concept of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) is no longer associated with simulated versions of space or aircraft. These futuristic ideas have stepped into the world of games. Entertainment, medical science and retail as well. 

Unity game engine is one platform fully exploiting AR and VR capabilities with built-in tools and technology support. But Unity is not just a scalable, cross-platform game development tool. The role of Unity in AR/VR projects is beyond offering immersive entertainment in gaming. 

Do you wish to know how AI generative technologies are employed in different Unity projects? If yes, then this article is for you. Join us as we explore how Unity is used in AR and VR projects and how the Unity game development company takes an active part in the process.

1. Developing Project Idea

A VR/AR project begins with the Unity game developers converting the business idea into a working model. It begins with creating detailed strategies to fulfil specific goals.

1. Defining Business Objective

The development company holds a thorough discussion with the client, specifying the areas of requirement of AR or VR into the project. Also, they discuss the navigation, development and success metrics throughout the system.

2. Focusing on User Experience

The aim is to define real-world interaction between users and project elements, including motions and voice. Hence, Unity game development company must minutely add elements of realism to give the best experience to the users.

3. Specifying Technical Requirement

The Unity team decides on the target platforms for the project along with listing the hardware resources required. This early planning makes the project feasible and scalable in the long run.

2. Integrating Unity Features

Wondering how Unity is used in AR and VR? Well, the Unity game development company helps customers include the following robust VR and AR features in their project:

1. Asset Management:

Unity offers ample built-in tools, assets and scripts available ready for use. This helps the Unity team design more animated projects at lower development cost and in less time.

2. Cross-Platform Support:

Unity allows for a single application to be deployed across different platforms. Also, the game engine is compatible with several AR and VR hardware. Some of them are Magic Leap, ARCore for Android, HTC Vive, ARKit for Magic Leap, HoloLens, Meta Quest, etc.

3. Image Rendering in Real Time:

The Unity game development company makes use of Unity’s shader graph, reflections and ambient occlusion, global illumination and dynamic lighting effect. These features make AR and VR applications more interactive and immersive.

4. Tools for XR Interaction:

The Unity game development team uses AR-based tools for performing tasks such as teleportation, hand tracking, etc.

3. Developing VR/AR Content

The AR game development agency generates interactive AR/VR projects by helping in:

1. 3D Animation:

The Unity game engine helps in generating real-world like digital objects in virtual settings and adds animation to them. It involves 3D modeling of objects, adding texture to them for a lifelike feel and incorporating motion into them. Unity game developers do this using Unity’s Mecanim (animation system) feature.

2. Interaction By Users:

The users can interact with the VR/AR systems using tooltips, voice commands, touch screens, hand gestures, handle clicks/drags, gaze tracking, handheld controllers, etc.

3. Motion and Physics:

This feature ensures that all the objects in the AR/VR project are very close to realism. This involves taking care of collision detection, character actions and rigidbodies to make objects react to natural forces. This enhances immersion and makes the experience more interactive.

4. Creating Prototype 

At this point, the Unity game developers start creating agile prototypes of the project that align with flexibility and speed. The major tasks involved here include:

1. Modular Structure:

Since AR and VR projects involve extensive effects and features, the Unity developers create the project in modules for easy integration and update.

2. Iterative Prototyping:

The Unity team develops and tests the prototype continuously to generate an immersive response. Timely feedback from the clients helps developers speed up the process and deliver results as per user satisfaction.

5. Deploying the Project

After creating a functional application, the Unity development team hosts it across multiple platforms while taking care of:

1. Performance Optimization:

Each hardware affiliated to AR and VR technologies has specific functionality. Hence, it is the Unity development team’s job to make the project responsive on each device. It involves adding conditional code along with tuning the texture, lighting, etc. for specific devices and then testing them repetitively.

2. Use of Third-Party Faculties:

The Unity developers also help with integration of various third-party apps to enhance user experience. Some of these tools are:

• Google Analytics for tracking user engagement.

• PlayFab, Firebase, etc. for backend storage, data syncing and user authentication.

• Payment-based apps to support payment for subscriptions, in-app purchases, etc.

• Mirror, Photon, etc. for providing multiplayer support.

6. Testing the Project 

The Unity development company tests the project for disorientation of audio-visual elements and performance-based issues. In this phase, different modules are tested to reveal:

• Platform-specific challenges.

• Physics and motion accuracy.

• Interaction between immersive world and the user.

• Issues related to latency and frame rate.

7. Project Maintenance 

Launching regular updates is an important part of VR and AR project management. A Unity development team is involved in:

• Detecting and fixing bugs or glitches in the ongoing application.

• Checking for compatibility across devices and platforms.

• Adding new functionality to the project.

• Optimizing performance and encouraging user engagement.

Wrapping Up

It’s important to understand that the role of Unity in AR/VR projects is not restricted to gaming. A Unity game development company can exploit VR techniques in real estate for virtual staging and giving online tours around properties.

Virtual simulation is highly recommended in the field of medicine to study the anatomy of creatures and to plan critical surgeries beforehand. In the retail industry as well, VR helps with virtual shopping. Likewise, AR assists in virtual try-ons and product visualizations along with in-store navigation.