VR App Development Cost — Factors Influencing Price

What is the average cost of developing a VR game app?

The cost to build a VR game app will be somewhere around $50,000 to $1,00,000. The actual cost can be more or less, depending on the game’s complexity and the features you want to add.

A vital component in determining the VR game app development cost is the type of game you want to make.

Game Type and Cost Variation

Every game is different and unique from other games. So, the Virtual reality game development cost also varies from one game to another.

One of the easier ways to determine the cost is by the type of game you want to develop:

Simple VR Game: A simple VR game with basic features can cost around $15,000 or more and will take about 10 to 12 weeks of development.

Mid-core VR Game: Mid-core VR game development cost will take around six months to complete and will cost approximately $30,000 to $ 50,000 or more.

AAA VR Game: Developing a AAA VR game can cost somewhere around $50,000 to $1,00,000 or more, depending on its complexity. The game development cost can take a year or two.

Rather, you can use a cost estimate for a more accurate price calculation. You can contact a VR gaming company and ask them for a cost estimate to understand the nuances of game development.

Estimation cost of a VR game can be calculated by analyzing the game’s requirements, and the price can vary based on various factors. It is essential to not miss any one factor because it might pop up in the middle of game development. Then, you might need to deal with additional expenses, which are more than the actual budget.

For that reason alone, it is advised to seek professional help in calculating the cost estimate. So, you can remove unwanted expenses when you have a strict budget.

The cost estimation process takes place in two stages:

Preliminary Cost Estimate: The initial cost estimate will give you a rough idea of the cost, time, and resources required to develop the game. This estimate is done when minimal data is available on the game.

Exact Cost Estimate: Unlike preliminary cost estimates, this gives a detailed estimation of the end cost by calculating the price for every stage of the game development process. It is more accurate as the game developer can access more information on the project.

There are various factors that influence the VR game development cost.

Let’s learn about them.

1. Location and expertise of the Developer

Virtual reality development costs can rapidly vary depending on the location of the VR game developer. The developer in the US will cost around $100 per hour, while Asian countries like India cost much less, which is approximately $20.

When you take middle Eastern countries like Dubai and Saudi Arabia, the developers can be hired for $40 or $50 per hour, which is much cheaper when compared to the US and other European countries.

Size of the team: The larger the team’s size, the more the cost you need to spend on employee wages. A simple VR game project takes two or three months to develop, while large projects take nearly a year. With that, you can calculate the employee wages for a project.

The employee’s salary will vary greatly depending on their skills and experience. Junior programmers might charge less when compared to experienced developers.

But you should consider that an inexperienced developer takes much more time than an expert in the field. They also tend to make mistakes, which might lead to additional expenses.

2. Hardware And Software Costs

Hardware is critical to support the game production process. VR games predominantly use 3D animation with high-graphic resolutions. So, you need robust hardware to keep the game running in real time. Other testing hardware, desktops,

When it comes to hardware, a virtual reality game development company has two options before them:

• Buy the hardware for VR game development (or)
• Rent the required hardware for game development.

Comparatively, renting hardware is much more cost-effective than buying them.

As much as hardware, selecting the perfect game engine is essential for successful game development. You would be required to pay a certain fee for using the engine for game development.

For instance, if you are working with Unreal Engine, you must pay 5% of your sales if your game exceeds $ 1 million in revenue.

3. Marketing Costs

Never exclude marketing costs from your budget planning. It is an important step to bring your fantastic game to the target audience.

Experts in the gaming industry suggest that a company needs to spend 25% to 50% of the total money spent on marketing their game. The percentage of spending should be based on the company’s size, type of game, and ROI.

The game developers can take care of the game marketing, or you can market the game yourself.

4. Hidden Expenses Like IP Licensing Costs, Localization Costs, and Platform Costs

Beware of the hidden costs when you are planning your game budget. If not, you might face budget constraints in the final game development stage.

• IP Licensing Costs: VR game development involves obtaining a complex web of licenses, including copyright, intellectual property, console platforms, game engines, and music. To avoid legal trouble, developers must secure all necessary licenses before launch.
• Localization Costs: Game localization involves adapting your game to different languages, cultures, and trends to captivate local players and boost engagement. To get better localization, hire seasonal experts to ensure a better result.
• Platform Costs: Many might not be aware of the charges you need to pay if you want to release your game on a particular platform. Make sure to familiarize yourself with these charges.

Various Types Of VR Platforms — How Do They Impact The Virtual Reality Development Cost?
There are many popular VR platforms in the market in 2024:

1. Meta Quest 3
2. Sony PlayStation VR
3. Valve Index VR
4. HTC Vive Pro 2
5. Apple Vision Pro

Developers must be mindful of different platform policies, including potential fees when creating games for VR platforms.

Although these policies are not publicly available, you should be aware of the platform’s developer policies, distribution options, and store policies, as they may contain information about revenue-sharing models, application fees, and other costs related to publishing and selling games on these platforms.

Here, we have listed the names of 5 most anticipated VR games for 2024.

1. Stranger Things VR
2. BeamNG VR
3. Gunman Contracts
4. Behemoth VR
5. Wanderer: The Fragments of Fate

Apart from this, a new mod is available in the market starting in 2024, which you can use to insert VR mode into an already-released unreal engine game.

Unreal Engine VR Injector

What is even more exciting than the release of these games is the release of the Unreal Engine VR injector mod. You can inject VR into most of the games made with Unreal Engine 4 and 5 using this mod.

All thanks to the VR modder Praydog for developing UEVR, you can now play your favorite unreal games in VR.