Today, nobody questions the usability of a VR Experience anymore. Virtual Reality has proven its worth in several industries, including education, real estate & construction, casino & gaming, and on and on. The better question is: »Is a VR experience a financially sound investment for my company?« Because as we know, if we do not receive our investment returned, we have made a piss-poor investment.
Today, we are going to take a look at a few different uses of VR experiences and their costs.
A VR Training Simulation
Training simulations are among the most complex and, therefore, expensive projects. Developing a VR Training Experience requires a high level of interactivity, as the scenarios in Virtual Reality need to feel real to the user. Often, haptic gloves, haptic suits, and similar experimental tools are used when developing complex VR training systems, which leads to higher project cost. The good news is that the return is even bigger than the investment, with companies saving millions with VR Experience training.
VR training projects usually start with the development of a minimum viable product, keeping the cost under control. MVPs will cost you between 15 and 30 thousand dollars, depending on the complexity.
Does your company need it?
VR Training Simulations are used to reduce training costs. Do you spend a significant amount of money on employee training? Is the job the employees are trained to do very practical or maybe dangerous? Then yes, you might be interested in VR Experience training. Usually, VR Experience training is useful for production companies who use Virtual Reality to replace a part of production line training and subsequently lower the training cost.
A Simple Promotional Game
Promotional VR Experiences are useful if you want your trade show booth buzzing with visitors. Promotional VR games need to be very easy to understand for the visitor, so the exhibiting company’s seller doesn’t spend too much time explaining the rules of the game to visitors. The goal of the VR Experience is to attract attention at a live event and present a brand or a product in a fun way.
A VR Experience can also be used to test a new design directly on the customers without developing the test product or present a product that isn’t ready yet. In any case, a simple promotional VR Experience will cost you anywhere between 15 and 50 thousand dollars, depending on the complexity and length of the experience.
Does your company need it?
The VR Experience helps with lead generation, brand recognition and increases customer loyalty. It is especially useful for B2B companies who use live events as part of their marketing strategy to bring in new customers, retain existing customers or show off new products to investors and board members.
A Guided VR Experience
A Guided VR Experience is similar to a promotional game, but the application itself is programmed to guide the user through the experience. A guided VR Experience is – in a way – a middle ground between a promotional game and a training experience. Its core function is to promote a brand or a product, but it uses techniques from VR training to make sure, the user always sees the company’s message.
A Guided VR Experience usually uses voiceovers and in-game markers to guide the user from action to action, explaining the best uses of a product along the way. A Guided VR Experience is best used at live events or in showrooms, as it requires very little input from the company’s seller. In a way, it works like an explainer video, but in an interactive, immersive and virtual way, leaving the potential client in awe. A Guided VR Experience will cost you anywhere between 15 and 70 thousand dollars, depending on the complexity and length.
Does your company need it?
If you have a company or a service that can be best explained through guided steps, then this is the way to go. Similarly to a promotional game, a Guided VR Experience helps generate leads, improves brand recognition and increases customer loyalty at live events. It is also useful if your company has a dedicated showroom.
A Complex Multiplayer VR Experience With A Backend System
The most complex product you can invest in the VR world at the moment is a multiplayer experience. This simply means that more than one person can experience the virtual world at the same time. Users can also interact between themselves, talk to each other and see what the others are doing.
A backend system means the VR Experience is connected to an online system that feeds them data and/or analyses their actions. From a programming point of view this kind of operations can become quite complex and can cost you from 70 thousand dollars to 150 thousand dollars. This kind of VR experiences should only be entrusted to the best developers out there.
Does your company need it?
If you have a product that can be best used by a group of people and not simply one person alone, this can be a good investment. A good developing team can also advise you on how to keep your developing costs under control.
To Sum Up
Virtual Reality development costs can range from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. It is important to know why you want a VR experience. Does your company actually need it? Will it bring results for your product or brand? How to optimize the plan in order to maximize the return on investment?
In the end, a lot will depend on the development agency/studio you decide to work with. An experienced team will be able to optimize the development for you, adjust it to your needs and make sure that you receive a service your brand deserves.