How Much Does a VR Game Cost

Q: How much does it cost to create a VR experience?

The cost to create a VR experience can vary widely. Simple VR Game: Costs range from $15,000 to $100,000. Hard AAA Project: Costs can be quite high, ranging from $2 million to $10 million. Semi-Immersive VR: These projects might cost between $60,000 and $400,000. Fully Immersive VR: The cost can range from $300,000 to $3 million.

By Dmytro Marmalyuk

Head of PM at RetroStyle Games | Jun 25, 2024

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The cost of creating a Virtual Reality (VR) game can vary a lot. How much does it cost to create a VR experience? It depends on what you want in the game, like its graphics, how big the game world is, and what kind of story it tells.

Simple VR games can cost a few thousand dollars to make, but big, fancy ones with lots of details and cool features can cost millions.

Virtual Reality has become really popular for a few reasons. First, it’s a new way to experience games and stories. Instead of just looking at a screen, you can feel like you’re really inside the game. And it’s not just for people who love video games. VR has the potential to change the game in lots of areas, including entertainment, marketing, working together from different places, training, and learning.

The pandemic also played a big part in making VR software development more popular. When it hit, lots of people were stuck at home and looking for new ways to have fun and escape reality for a bit. VR gave them a chance to explore new places, try new activities, and even hang out with friends in virtual spaces. It was a way to do things they couldn’t do in real life because of lockdowns and social distancing.

Innovative VR features are continually being developed, enhancing user interaction and realism in virtual environments. To buy a VR or develop a VR game you’ll need to determine how much a VR setup costs. The average VR headset price is $423, depending on how famous the manufacturer is and the quality of the material. When considering how much it costs to make a VR headset, factors like design, materials, and technology all play a role in the final manufacturing cost.

If you’re interested in learning more about how VR and other digital technologies are changing the way we interact with the world, especially during times like the pandemic, you might want to check out some research on the topic. There’s a lot of interesting stuff out there, like the work by Digital Chemistry on virtual experiences. You can find more about it here.

VR Game Revenue in 2024

According to Statista, there’s been notable growth in financial terms. In 2023, the industry achieved $3.2 billion in revenue, which represented a significant increase from the $2.5 billion reported in 2022.

This growth from 2022 to 2023 amounted to approximately 28%. Looking forward, projections for 2024 suggest that the revenue is expected to reach around $3.6 billion. These figures indicate a consistent upward trend in the VR gaming market, highlighting its expansion and increasing market penetration year over year. Why is virtual reality so popular? Because you can create any game or integrate it into the educational process, VR technology is required anywhere.

Average Cost Of Developing a VR Project

Virtual reality development cost depends on what you’re making. If it’s something simple, you might spend a few thousand dollars, like around $5,000 to $10,000. But if you want to make something really big and fancy, it could cost a lot more, sometimes even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Virtual reality application development is a process that involves programming, 3D modeling, and often, user experience testing to ensure quality. All this costs money. However, a big part of the cost of virtual reality comes from which game engine you choose. This is like the tool that helps you build your VR world. Two popular ones are Unity and Unreal. Unity is easier to use, while Unreal can make things look super real but might be a bit more complex to handle. So, Unity vs Unreal for VR? Choosing between them can change how much the virtual reality game will cost and how much time you’ll need to finish your VR project.

Type of VR project	Example	Time of Development	Cost
Simple VR game	Simulators like Space Pirate Trainer or Job Simulator; match-3 games like Faral Gem VR, Rainbow Reactor: Fusion, "escape rooms" genre games like The Room VR: A Dark Matter, A Fisherman’s Tale or any other types of virtual reality that can be easily understood even without tutorial	From 2 months up to 6 months	15000 USD to 100K USD
Hard AAA project	Includes augmented reality projects like large-scale online role-playing games and top-tier, high-quality games, as well as VR games such as the virtual reality versions of the epic fantasy game Skyrim and the action-packed robot game Robo Recall	From 1 year to 3 years	From 2 million USD up to 10 mln USD
Semi immersive VR	Usually used for educational or training purposes like ImmerseMe, Apollo 11 VR, 4D Anatomy and so on. Also, VR gambling market exists and keeps growing each day. Games like Vision Blackjack for Apple Vision Pro, Social Club VR : Casino Nights, Vegas Infinite are quite popular in gambling community	From 4 months to 1 year	60K USD to 400K USD
Fully immersive VR	Games where you can not only watch, but touch (using special gloves) like Half-Life: Alyx, Superhot VR, Moss, etc. With it, you can realize all your AR VR project ideas with no limit	From 10 months to 1.5 years	300K USD to 3 mln USD

VR App Development Cost Factors

The costs to develop a VR app can vary a lot depending on several factors. One of these factors is VR testing, which is super important. The VR game creator makes sure everything in the app works as it should and feels real. This can include checking that the graphics look good, that there are no glitches, and that the app doesn’t make users feel dizzy or uncomfortable. For this, you will need professional VR testing services.

Another thing that can affect the cost of developing VR is making the VR app work on different kinds of devices. Just like some apps need to work on both iPhones and Android phones, VR apps might need to work on different VR headsets. This process is called porting, and it ensures that more people can use the app no matter what device they have.

If you need to get your VR app ready for different devices, you can get help from VR porting services.

These are just a couple of examples of what goes into the cost of creating a VR game. There are other factors too, like the design, the complexity of the app, and how interactive 3D virtual reality is. Each part adds to the cost but also makes the VR experience better for everyone.

FAQ

Fake

How much does it cost to create a VR experience?

The cost of creating a VR experience can vary widely.

Simple VR Game: Costs range from $15,000 to $100,000.
Hard AAA Project: Costs can be quite high, ranging from $2 million to $10 million.
Semi-Immersive VR: These projects might cost between $60,000 and $400,000.
Fully Immersive VR: The cost can range from $300,000 to $3 million.

What is the average cost to develop a VR app?

The average cost to develop a VR app varies depending on the type and scale of the project. The average cost can vary anywhere from $5000 to $10,000,000 or more. The average development time across these different types of VR projects also varies anywhere from a few weeks to 12-15 months.

Why is virtual reality development considered expensive?

Virtual reality development is considered expensive because it often requires advanced technology, specialized software, and skilled professionals to create immersive and interactive 3D environments. High-quality graphics and complex programming for VR content demand substantial time and resources.

Why invest in VR game development?

This investment can have new business opportunities and revenue streams. VR becomes accessible, expanding the potential user base. The future potential of VR games includes not just entertainment, but also applications in education, training, and simulations, making the investment relevant across multiple industries. With VR’s growth trajectory, early investments can position companies to capitalize on an expanding market and shape the direction of new virtual experiences.

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