How Much Does VR Development Cost?

VR development is on the rise in the technology market as it is used in most modern industries. Virtual reality success has been more of a slow and steady climb than the overnight phenomena many were expecting. This has caused many to question the popularity of virtual reality and left them wondering what to expect in terms of growth. Here we are going to dwell on the software programmer salary for VR developers.

What Will the Future Bring for VR Developer and VR Development Team?

2017 was a struggle in the world of virtual reality as the technology seemed slow to catch on. Much of the delay in the growth surrounding VR is the fact that it only worked when connected to an external source. As more and more technologies go wireless, consumers showed frustration in the need to connect VR products to smartphones, game consoles, or PCs. The year was creating a cause for concern for VR developers as many wondered whether virtual reality would be a total flop.

Luckily, 2019 came with the release of stand-alone VR systems. The year was expected to be better than ever for virtual reality growth as consumers are freed from wires, PCs, and phones. And it managed to live up to expectations. As standalone VR systems offer increased ease of use, comfort, and portability, it seems virtual reality is headed towards the mainstream success its been working towards. Interest and growth are expected to continue to rise. It is predicted that virtual reality will be a $38 billion industry by 2026.

As for the year 2020, the VR/AR industry has reached $18.8 billion globally. The countries that invest more in VR software development are the USA and China. Virtual reality development cost and popularity come with its prospects in healthcare, military, and science.

Of course, nowadays VR game developer salary and virtual designer salary are on the highest on the market as the technology is mostly used for entertainment. However, future trends predict it to be used for other purposes. The major predictions in this industry for 2020-2025 are:

• 5G technology will speed up the process. It is a fast transition of data to mobile devices that will bring new experience to end consumers.
• Development of more powerful wireless VR devices. Of course, wireless helmets already exist, yet they are far from perfect. Today almost any VR programmer is working on making this software and hardware more flexible and self-standing.
• Application of these solutions in marketing, architecture, healthcare, and other spheres.
• The headsets will become lighter, with better displays and more affordable. As for now, the Oculus Quest headset by Facebook is one of the most affordable ones for end-users. And the company and Oculus Rift developers work to make it even a better offer.

Facebook AR VR salary remains at a high level as the company sees this technology as one of the most powerful. However, they are not the only ones that understand the prospects of this industry. Understanding the intricacies of VR development costs becomes clearer when you decide to AR developers for hire, as their skill in augmenting reality can add valuable perspectives and innovative solutions to virtual reality projects.

Cost of Hiring a VR programmer and Developing a VR Product

Considering such a rapid growth of the industry, it is only understandable that more and more companies are looking for VR developers for hire.

But before they actually do that they usually are looking for some answers to questions such as how much does it cost to develop a VR app. The costs in many cases vary as this is a rather new technology and its development is not that common yet. Usually, in-house developers tend to have higher rated than those, who are outsourced. That is why most business owners tend to seek for their developers somewhere outside of their home country. In any case, VR apps are not that expensive due to the lack of complexity in comparison to VR games.

In this case, when it comes down to answering the question of how much does it cost to develop a VR game, the answer would be slightly different. VR games are gaining enormous popularity these days and more and more gamers are choosing them over ordinary ones. All that resulted in gaming companies trying to adjust their production to customers’ needs and, therefore increased demand in VR programmers. The final price usually depends on the complexity of the product and the size of the team. However, you can always reduce the price by turning to outsource practices that are highly popular these days.

The final question you might want to ask yourself is how long does it take to develop VR games. Well, you have to take into consideration the pre-production process as well. Usually, business owners are hiring an in-house team for this occasion as this part requires lots of communication between developers and the owner of the project. The speed of this whole process will depend greatly on how specific you are about what you want and need. Right after that, you might delegate the rest of the work to an outer, outsourced contractor who will spare you the time and money. However, those of them, who want to have truly exceptional results, go the other way around, and besides a VR developer or AR developers also hires a VR consulting specialist. This is the exact hind of specialist you need if you want your business to rise above competitors and give you an absolutely unique solution that will take into consideration your company and its workflow as a whole. This way the integration process of the VR technology into your project will be as smooth as possible.

Technologies a VR Application Developer Needs to Operate

A virtual reality programmer salary is understandable high if one considers the level of expertise this job takes. It is a complex and rapidly developing sphere that requires constant learning and a lot of practice. As the new SDKs and devices are presented, programmers need to always stay on top of the news. VR AR developer salary in Eastern Europe varies hugely from Oculus salary in the USA, yet they often are expected to master similar skills.

As for technologies, a VR or an Oculus developer mostly uses desktop tools or web tools depending on specific needs. The popular desktop tools are:

• Unity 3D – originally is a game engine, but now it is almost a default choice for many programmers. It is easy to use and allows quick prototyping of VR apps. It allows designing an app in a virtual environment and exporting it to almost any platform.
• Unreal Engine – another gaming engine with more advanced graphics. It provides the most realistic imagery.
• Bender – it is a free solution written on Python. The main benefit is that it is available for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS. It is great for modeling, mapping, and animations.

The main SDKs for a virtual reality programmer are:

• Oculus – works with C++ and Unreal Engine. It also has a mobile SDK. Works best with other Oculus products, namely hardware (Rift – the second most popular device on the market);
• Open VR – an open license solution, which can work with any hardware or software.;
• Google VR – allows building apps for desktop, web, Android, and iOS.

The choice of a particular technology depends on the project and used hardware (headset).

Main Responsibilities and Skills of VR Developers?

The main responsibility of virtual reality developers is two-fold. This means that they need to approach the development process with both passionate creativity and operational caution. There are several issues that can arise with VR, the most common being motion sickness.

Outside of the issues that may develop as users get used to this new type of technology, there are also technical and design issues that arise. To combat these issues, VR development teams from all over the world have come together to collaborate on a resolution and create a fix.

Apart from technical and design issues, the main responsibility of virtual reality developers is on the player experience. VR development team is still in the early days of design and implementation for many projects and constantly face challenges on how to create the perfect virtual experience for users. Developers need to focus on maintaining the player’s presence within the game.

Developers much create believable interactions, 3D objects, and real behaviors and personalities. The goal is to get the player absorbed into the game. Without that type of experience, users won’t come back for more. With responsibilities like these, vendors looking for VR development companies need to seek out professional and talented VR development team.

What Is a VR Developer Salary?

VR developer salary will vary but is probably at its highest now. As the industry continues to grow, more and more developers will look to add VR expertise or coding VR to their resume. As developers become more readily available, the virtual reality developer salary will reach a plateau. Since VR development is still in the early stages, it can be hard to find a qualified developer.

Virtual Reality Programmer Salary By Country

Web developer salary for virtual reality is $106,139 a year in the United States. As with many development jobs, outsourcing or outstaffing the work can create substantial savings. In the UK, the virtual reality career salary is higher at $89,590 a year, and in Canada at $55,715. Still, in Germany, it is even higher at $64,469. Outsourcing to Eastern European countries is always the more affordable option. Quality VR developers in Ukraine can provide expert services for as low as $35 an hour and $30,000* per year.

*Ukrainian salaries are provided based on Mobilunity’s Recruitment Team research on the local job markets. All salaries are net and do not include the service fee (in case of hiring on a dedicated team model). The salaries are provided for comparison purposes and could be not entirely accurate. Contact us to know the exact cost of hiring a developer corresponding to the required parameters.

Because of that many providers choose Ukrainian VR content developers and programmers to reduce the cost of a project.

Development Estimation Based on Average Virtual Reality Programmer Salary

Two main factors in the estimation of a project are VR development salary rates and the scope. Virtual reality development costs depend also on the number of professionals it will take to finish the app. For example, a project can be:

• Simple VR app for Android or iOS might take about 1 month;
• Projects like online VR shop can take up to 3 months;
• 3D MAX modeling takes longer, up to 6 months;
• Complex MMORPG takes most of the time, about a year or more. VR game development cost can be quite high if it uses realistic graphics and original design.

The first three options can take about 2-5 professionals to work on, but the last one will take at least 10. Virtual reality salary will take most of the budget. Depending on the VR specialist salary, whether it is outsourcing or on-premise professional, the cost of the smallest project can be in a range from $5,000 to $9,000. Working on a complex multi-player game adds VR game designer salary to the estimation and such a project will start from $100,000.

That’s why outsourcing is so popular for this industry. VR programmer salary depends directly on the location of a specialist. The lowest rate for virtual reality app developers in the States is $40 when in Ukraine it is $25 per hour. To make an estimation, take the annual salary or hourly rate and add according to the number of professionals working on the project. The better offer on salary unity developer one finds, the lower the overall disbursements will be.

Find out more about:

• How to find outsourcing company Poland?

Virtual Reality Development With Mobilunity

Thanks to the lower costs of living in Eastern European countries, you can hire professional and highly skilled virtual reality dedicated developers at low prices. And, you don’t have to sacrifice quality.

Mobilunity offers high-quality services to international partners working on VR projects. The benefits of cooperation with us are:

• Convenient time zone and geographical location, especially for European partners. The time difference for them is minimal, which helps better communication. And it is also quite easy to travel to meet in person here.
• A great pool of talents, including programmers, designers, content creators, and other professionals. All of them are experienced and qualified to work on an application of any complexity;
• The dedicated team that shares the same business and work values. We are focused on excellent results provided in the shortest time possible.
• Fixed prices and rates, which is a great advantage for budgeting. Everything is transparent and straightforward, so it is quite easy to estimate the costs.
• Direct communication, professional approach, and great ending product with the optimal VR app development cost.

Mobilunity VR developers are some of the best in the business and are more affordable than your local options. At Mobilunity, you’ll get the best VR development at the more affordable prices so you can finish your project without breaking your budget.

Contact us today to hire your qualified, professional, and affordable virtual reality developer or the whole VR development team for your next project.

Written by:

Anastasia Stefanuk

Market Researcher

Disclaimer: All salaries and prices mentioned within the article are approximate NET numbers based on the research done by our in-house Recruitment Team. Please use these numbers as a guide for comparison purposes only and feel free to use the contact form to inquire on the specific cost of the talent according to your vacancy requirements and chosen model of engagement.