Question How to approach VR and Non-VR versions of a game

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone had any insights on how to create a VR game that supports non-VR mode. Some examples of these are Star Trek Bridge Crew, Elite Dangerous, The Forest, and I think I read that Alyx also has a non-VR mod.

 

Do you mean in terms of game design? Or how to detect when a VR device is present?

 

More technical than design. The problem I'm having with XR is that Windows is always trying to start up Oculus or SteamVR or WMR. In the old XR, if I recall right, you could set up a Mock HMD, put it in to center eye rendering and then use a First Person Character Controller, turning off the VR Rig's camera.

I can't figure out how to do the same sort of thing in XR. I see I can stop XR from automatically starting in the XR Plugin Management. What I don't see is a way to manage this off of Player Prefs or something like that. Maybe I'm just over thinking this and it's easier than I realize. I just haven't managed to do it.

 

Ah, OK. I haven't yet tried to make an app that supports non-VR mode even on a VR-capable Windows box. So, I'll be following this thread too in hopes of learning something new.

 

It seems outside the editor it is pretty difficult, but following the steps from this thread you can do it in the editor
https://forum.unity.com/threads/how-to-start-the-game-without-vr-with-the-new-xr-stack.904976/