Virtual reality (VR) mobile apps are rapidly gaining popularity. But it’s not just game-makers who can stand to benefit from advances in VR. Now, developers are using this engaging technology for a range of other applications. So, what qualities make for the best virtual reality mobile apps? And how can you ensure that you craft your application in a way that maximizes your chances of finding success, whether it’s an internal enterprise app or a consumer-facing one?
The Best Virtual Reality Apps are Mobile-Friendly
It seems like this would be a given, but from a technical perspective, VR apps are data-heavy, which can cause problems on a mobile device with limited storage space and data service. As such, developers are tasked with creating an app that delivers a rich VR experience without over-taxing devices. This can require some creativity during the development process, but it’s achievable by minimizing the amount of data stowed on the user’s device or by reducing graphic quality in areas where super high-resolution visuals aren’t essential, among other strategies.
The Best Virtual Reality Mobile Apps are Realistic
Realism and graphic quality are critical for most virtual reality apps, as the developers must craft a digital rendering of an environment that the user can explore and interact with. Some VR apps use actual video footage as their basis, some generate an environment from scratch and others combine both approaches.
The right strategy will vary according to the type of app you’re developing, but one point remains constant: you need realistic, high-quality graphics to deliver a virtual reality experience that’s engaging to users. Poor graphics are distracting–a distraction that tends to draw attention to the fact that the user is in a sub-par virtual environment.
The Best Virtual Reality Mobile Apps Render Well on Popular VR Headsets
The most successful VR apps render beautifully on popular virtual reality headsets, even those that are available for a lower price (as is often the case for “mobile” VR headsets, which are intended for use “on the go” or in the field). The net effect is a fabulous user experience (UI)—one that leaves a lasting impression.
It’s relatively easy to craft an app that renders well on state-of-the-art VR hardware, but it’s a bit more challenging to develop an application that will look great on older or less sophisticated headsets. For this reason, it’s vital that you put your app through testing to ensure it will deliver an engaging, immersive experience to a broad range of users.
The Best Virtual Reality Mobile Apps are Innovative
As the public becomes increasingly familiar with virtual reality apps, the novelty of these applications will begin to wane. When this occurs, simply using VR technology won’t be enough to make your app a success. Therefore, it’s the truly innovative virtual reality applications that tend to find the greatest success; a trend we can expect will become more apparent as time progresses and more apps enter the marketplace. The SIMs are a great example of this, as developers crafted a one-of-a-kind virtual world that proved to be an industry game-changer, ultimately giving rise to a whole new generation of apps.
In short, don’t hesitate to use VR in new, novel ways. If you have an idea for integrating virtual reality into your next application, work with a developer who can make it happen. Sticking to tried-and-true development strategies may bring some level of success, but it’s the true innovators who tend to emerge as the real stand-outs.
The innovators at 7T have assembled a world-class team of developers who deal in many areas of emerging technology, such as virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, predictive analytics and natural language processing.
Based in Dallas, 7T serves clients in Austin, Houston and beyond. We encourage you to reach out to our team today to discuss your project.
