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Feedback Feature Request: VR Simulator

Discussion in 'AR/VR (XR) Discussion' started by MOTYSHIZ, May 8, 2020.

  1. MOTYSHIZ

    MOTYSHIZ

    Joined:
    Apr 12, 2016
    Posts:
    5
    Hi guys,
    I've been working on a VR Multiplayer game for about a year at this point, and something that I've found absolutely critical to my operations is a VR Simulator.
    A VR Simulator lets you simulate an HMD and controllers via your mouse and keyboard, and it lets you test your game without launching Oculus or SteamVR.

    The one that I currently use(and the only one I am currently aware of) is provided by VRTK : https://www.vrtk.io/

    This is incredibly important for two major reasons:
    1. Neck/Head Fatigue. I once read an article before that listed some of the primary reasons why developers didn't want to work on VR games, and the need to put on and take off a headset was listed as one of the primary reasons. I strongly agree with this sentiment. Even though headsets are getting more comfortable, many developers wear glasses, and having to fit your glasses in and out of the headset very often can be a rather annoying step in the process of testing.
    2. Testing Local Multiplayer. Only one application is allowed to have primary access to a VR headset at a time. If you try to test multiplayer by making a game build, the build client will close out once you try to launch the game in play mode. The other multiplayer developers I know just work with multiple headsets and each other, but this is a slow way to work, and inhibits solo developers from working on multiplayer titles. Luckily for me, VRTK's VR Simulator existed, so not only can I use the MockHMD VR SDK to keep a client up, but I can also test my code with a mouse and keyboard player controlled character.
    I've been learning the new XR toolkit, but the main thing keeping me from adopting it is the lack of a VR Simulator. Multiplayer testing would be a much more hellish task for me to accomplish without the use of VRTK's simulator, and I seriously hope one is in the works.