Not the most exciting of topics, but just to give a general sense of the environment I’m developing in as a point of reference:

VR Development Platform: Unity

Though by no means the only way to create VR apps, Unity is a free (provided that your fledgling VR efforts don’t rake in more than $100,000 in annual revenues) and widely used game development platform with extensive documentation and numerous tutorials available.

VR Build Platform: Google Daydream with Daydream View headset and Samsung S8+ phone running Android Nougat 7.0

There’s a wide variety of headsets, hardware and platforms out there to run VR applications, so I’ll spare you the gruesome details of how I arrived at my particular configuration of stuff. To summarize, the above platform represents a decision to avoid the expense of the higher-end consumer VR systems while still allowing for greater functionality than the controller-less Google Cardboard. I chose the Samsung phone (as a replacement for my archaic, non-VR compatible iPhone 4) because it works with both Daydream and Samsung’s Gear VR (as well as Google Cardboard) in case I want to switch things up in the future.

Computer Doing the Grunt Work: Asus laptop running Windows 10 home

Nuthin’ fancy – I built the prototypes on my 6-month old laptop. I won’t get into the nitty-gritties of its tech specs (Intel i7-7500U processor, 16GB RAM, etc.) – the point is that there’s no need for sophisticated kit to develop in VR.

Unity may be a popular platform for VR development, but its impressive functionality comes with a not-inconsiderable learning curve. Luckily, a number of great online tutorials exist to build the foundational knowledge necessary to start creating VR apps on your own:

Coursera – Introduction to Game Development, Brian Winn (Michigan State University)

A hands-on, project-based online course (MOOC) geared at teaching learners the fundamentals of Unity; it was my introduction to Unity and I can heartily recommend it. While I have mixed feelings about Coursera as an enterprise, it is not a reflection of the instructors showcasing their work through the platform – Brian Winn has developed an accessible, well-scaffolded and engaging online course.

Lynda.com – Unity Training & Tutorials

Another freemium skill development platform offering a seemingly infinite set of tutorials on Unity, available to many through subscriptions held by their public libraries. The Cert Prep series and/or Unity3D Essential Training are also good place to start as an alternative to the Brian Winn course mentioned above (since many of the same concepts are covered) but there are also a wide range of other tutorials to develop more refined skills (for example, creating architectural models). The website also has numerous tutorials on using Blender, an open source 3D modelling software often used to create digital assets for use in Unity. Needless to say, if you’re working with Blender, you’re well beyond the ‘dabbling in VR’ stage.

Unity – Tutorials

Unity, of course, has its own set of free tutorials that are helpful for delving into specific aspects of Unity development, like designing user interface elements and scripting (there is a series on VR, but it relies on assets that are only available to paying users of the software). There are also paid options for courses offered through site, including a VR nanodegree offered in partnership with Udemy.