Virtual Reality Development Services
VR Owl is a virtual reality development company for enterprise teams. We build custom VR applications for training, onboarding, recruitment and marketing, from the first concept through to deployment on your own headsets. Ready-to-go modules get you to a working pilot sooner; custom development covers the processes no standard module fits.
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What is virtual reality development?
Virtual reality development is the process of building software that places users inside a simulated, immersive environment they can look around in and interact with, using a headset and controllers. A VR project combines 3D content, interaction design and engine development, and it ends with testing on the devices your teams will actually use.
What a VR build consists of
A build breaks down into five parts: modeling the 3D environment, designing how people move and act inside it, developing the application in a game engine, connecting it to the systems you already run, and validating it on real hardware.
VR, AR and mixed reality
Virtual reality replaces the world around the user. AR development adds digital elements to the real one, and mixed reality lets both interact. Together they are known as XR.
Our VR development services
We build the full range of immersive applications end-to-end: concept, 3D production, development, testing and rollout.
Custom VR applications
Built from scratch for your process, your compliance requirements and your devices. Roughly half of the work we do.
Product marketing
Launch or promote your product with impact. A memorable experience that can be used for a long time and almost anywhere. Built for Mont Blanc and Blue Curacao.
Events
Use virtual reality during an event or activation and promote your organization in a unique way. An interactive brand experience. Built for Huawei’s 5G network and Coca-Cola.
Presentation
Present your business in virtual reality and take your products or services anywhere. Your entire portfolio at hand or a unique view of your operations. Built for Mateco and RVO.
Storytelling
Tell your story in an immersive way. Inform and persuade with a 360-degree perspective, and engage your employees or new staff. Built for Baker Tilly and Coca-Cola.
Training and simulation
Train personnel anytime, anywhere. Learn complex procedures and operations without being physically present, at lower cost and with less risk. Built for offshore equipment control and Tesla battery replacement.
Onboarding
Introduce your new staff to the organization, colleagues and operations in a fun and innovative way. Built for the Dutch police and for employees in disaster areas. For the hiring stage, see VR recruitment.
Visualization
Showcase your products or processes at any location, with every process visually explained. Built for a fire safety technique and a recycling process.
VR simulation
Train complex procedures or learn to operate machines, at any time, with low cost and no risk. Built for driving offshore equipment and operating excavators and cranes.
Technology and platforms
Engines and toolchain
We build in Unity and Unreal Engine and cover the full toolchain of VR software development: 3D modeling, interaction, deployment and LMS integration. Unity is our default for standalone headsets and mobile rollouts because it deploys efficiently to Quest and Pico. Unreal fits projects where visual fidelity carries the experience.
Headsets and platforms
Most enterprise rollouts run on Meta Quest 3 and Quest Pro. We also build for Pico 4 Enterprise, HTC Vive Focus Vision, standalone WebXR browsers and Apple Vision Pro. Mobile AR runs on iOS and Android mobile devices through WebAR or a native app. We build for all major VR and AR platforms, so a rollout is not tied to one vendor.
Ready-to-go modules and custom development
Measurable results: LMS and analytics
Reporting into your LMS
Every build can report into the learning system you already run. We support SCORM and xAPI (Tin Can), so completion, compliance and performance land in the same dashboard and workflow as the rest of your training. If you do not run an LMS, we can host the reporting.
Compliance you can show
That matters most for safety and compliance work, where you have to show who is qualified and when that qualification expires.
Industries we build for
Most of our work sits in sectors where mistakes are expensive and practice is hard to arrange on the real thing.
Construction
site safety, machine operation and hazard recognition, practiced before anyone sets foot on site. Construction in VR
Energy
gas leaks, fires and equipment handling, rehearsed without taking a plant offline. Energy in VR
Manufacturing
machine operation, assembly and emergency response on the line. Manufacturing in VR
Offshore
platform safety, evacuation routes and crane and rig operation, on land. Offshore in VR
Government
crisis decision-making, public service scenarios and policy training. Government in VR
Why VR Owl
A team of 35, in Utrecht, Cologne and Newark
We have been building VR since 2015, when we launched the Cardboard Owl and reached more than a million people, and we work from Utrecht, Cologne and Newark, New Jersey with a team of 35 creatives, designers and vr developers.
As a vr developer, we have all the necessary skills and departments to have a vr app created, so a project does not wait on a third party.
> Concepting
> Development
> 3D artists
> 360 video
> Operations
> Events
What VR development costs
Most projects start at around 15 thousand euros and run up to about 50 thousand euros. A short marketing experience sits at the lower end; a multi-user simulation with custom 3D content and LMS reporting sits at the top.
What drives the price
Costs depend on complexity, the degree of interactivity, the amount of 3D content, the number of platforms and the systems it has to connect to.
When VR is not the answer
VR is not always the answer. For a single message to a small group, a film is often enough and a lot cheaper.
Questions about VR development
What is a virtual reality development company?
A virtual reality development company builds VR software: the 3D environment, the interactions and the application itself, plus the testing on real headsets. VR Owl does that for enterprise teams and public organizations, both as custom development and from a library of ready-to-go training modules.
What does the process of having a VR app created look like?
We always begin the development process with an introduction to the client, the company and the processes. After we understand the requirements, our creative team gets to work on a concept and quote. After approval come the kick-off, a design document, an Alpha and a Beta version for feedback, and the final application.
How long does it take to have a virtual reality app created?
Having a vr application made takes six to twelve weeks on average, depending on the complexity. Having training applications such as vr simulations made generally takes longer than a simpler (marketing) vr application. A module from our library is deployable after a short configuration step.
What platforms do you develop VR apps for?
We create vr apps for any platform: mobile devices such as Android and Apple, stand-alone headsets such as Meta Quest 3, Quest Pro and Pico 4 Enterprise, and more complex headsets that you connect to a PC.
Our team of vr developers has experience with every possible platform so feel free to contact us if yours is not listed here.
Do you build in Unity or Unreal Engine?
Both. The choice depends on the devices and the level of visual detail you need. We make the call with you during the concept phase, before a single asset is built, and we write it down in the design document.
Can a VR application report into our LMS?
Yes, through SCORM or xAPI. Results land in the learning system you already use, so you can see who completed which module, how they performed and when a qualification expires. If you do not run an LMS, we can host the reporting.
How long have you been developing VR apps?
As a vr developer, we have been working on vr app development since 2015, when we launched the Cardboard Owl. Our team consists of concepters, designers, 3D artists and vr developers.
How we build your VR application
Our process for vr development is clear and efficient. From a free concept to a final product. A standard custom project runs six to twelve weeks depending on scope.
1. Inspiration
Free introductions, inspiration and insight into your wants and needs.
Output: Appointment concept meeting
2. Concepting
Discuss responsibilities and planning for a successful project.
Output: Concept deck & quote
3. Kick Off
Discuss tasks, responsibilities and planning, and agree which devices the application has to run on.
Output: planning
4. Design
A document with art direction, user flow and the interactions, written down before a single asset is built.
Output: Design document
5. Creation
3D production and engine development. We provide two versions for feedback to meet expectations: an Alpha, the first working prototype, and a Beta.
Output: Alpha, Beta
6. Delivery
Once approved, we deliver the final version, tested on the headsets you will use and connected to your LMS where needed.
Output: Final product
What our Customers
say about us
Do you have any questions or would you like a free demo? Contact us.
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