Greetings future VR developers! Let us pretend something.
Let us pretend… that you have very little experience with programming.
And, let us pretend… that you have exactly one year to learn VR development.
Then, instead of pretending further… let’s turn to reality where you can use the following resources and steps to mastering VR development basics.
Sound like fun? Well, then, let’s get to it.
Note: Want more context? A nuanced “big picture” section is included at the very end of the article.
This post sponsored by Foundry 🔥, the WordPress of VR
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| Jan | ————— Week 1️⃣ ————— 🥽 Start the Unity Essentials Pathway (2 hrs) 🥽 Use your local library’s website to find a free pass to take Learning Tinkercad. Note that when you export your designs as .obj files, they can be used in VR/Unity. (2 hrs) 🥽 Download a random VR application from App Lab. The best way to understand VR app design is to experience lots of VR creations! (20 mins) 🥽 As you explore Virtual Reality, reflect on what your relevant passions and interests . What draws you in? The potential for gaming? The possibilities of psychological research? Do you find yourself most intrigued by data visualization? Identifying your interests and passions for niche VR topics can be a great way to stay motivated and inspired as you learn. (15 mins) ————— Week 2️⃣ ————— 🥽 Finish the Unity Essentials Pathway (3 hrs) 🥽 Finish Learning Tinkercad, from week 1. (2hrs) 🥽 Download & play a random VR application from App Lab. (20 mins) ————— Week 3️⃣ ————— Learning to program, with C# sharp in this case, is the “eating the frog” of learning VR development, so be sure to take it serious, and just remember, although painful, it is a necessary medicine : ) 🥽 Use your local library’s website to find a free pass to take Programming Foundations: Fundamentals (2hrs) 🥽 Spend some time on the C# Sololearn app (as a smartphone app or in your browser). (15 mins) 🥽 Watch the Movie Ready Player 1. Get your brain thinking about what’s possible for the future of VR. (Optional) ————— Week 4️⃣ ————— 🥽 Finish Programming Foundations: Fundamentals (2 hrs) 🥽 Learn to use Monstermash (easy to use) for quickly turning 2D art into 3D assets (video tutorial). (20 mins) 🥽 Download & play another random VR application from App Lab. (20 mins) |
| Feb | ————— Week 1️⃣ ————— 🥽 Buy “Learning C# by Developing Games with Unity” This is the only item that is not free that I insist upon getting. It will explain programming concepts, give great metaphors, and provide code samples that you need to wrap your head around C#. This book will help make it stick. Read it front to back, ideally more than once for good grasp on C# as a beginner. If you absolutely can’t buy a book right now, you can download the 4th edition of “Head First C#”‘s first 4 chapters free: https://github.com/head-first-csharp/fourth-edition (5 mins) 🥽 Start the Unity JR. Programmer Pathway from Unity (Free) (2 hr) 🥽 Subscribe to Valem VR and watch one of his helpful and entertaining tutorial videos. He posts regularly. (15 mins) ————— Week 2️⃣ ————— 🥽 Continue the Unity JR. Programmer Pathway from Unity (2 hrs) 🥽 Read from Learning C# by Developing Games with Unity. (1 hr) 🥽 Favorite this playlist on YouTube by “Awesome Tuts” covering C# basics, and watch one of the videos. This is a great one to watch and re-watch from time to time as you start out. (5 Mins) 🥽 Subscribe to Learn VR with Andrew and watch one of his tutorial videos (15 mins) ————— Week 3️⃣ ————— 🥽 Read from Learning C# by Developing Games with Unity. ( 1 hrs) 🥽 Continue the Unity JR. Programmer Pathway from Unity (2 hrs) 🥽 Watch the Netflix Series “Kiss Me First” The show explores cults & VR as they intersect in this fictional drama. Great storytelling. Note: For adults. Mature themes. (Optional) ————— Week 4️⃣ ————— 🥽 Read from Learning C# by Developing Games with Unity (1 hrs) 🥽 Continue the Unity JR. Programmer Pathway from Unity (2 hrs) 🥽 Subscribe to Dilmer Valecillos, and watch one of his tutorial videos. Dilmer regularly uploads helpful detailed tutorials. (20 mins) |
| March | Week 1️⃣ 🥽 Read from Learning C# by Developing Games with Unity (1 hrs) 🥽 Continue the Unity JR. Programmer Pathway from Unity (2 hrs) 🥽 Subscribe to Justin P Barnett on YouTube and watch one of his tutorial videos. they regularly upload clear and easy to follow tutorials. (15 mins) Wk 2️⃣ 🥽 Read from Learning C# by Developing Games with Unity (1 hrs) 🥽 Continue the Unity JR. Programmer Pathway from Unity (2 hrs) 🥽 Subscribe to The Ghost Howls, the best technical XR development blog out there. Read the latest article, and follow the author on Twitter, too. (15 mins) Week 3️⃣ 🥽 Read from Learning C# by Developing Games with Unity (1 hrs) 🥽 Continue the Unity JR. Programmer Pathway from Unity (2 hrs) 🥽 Join a Meetup group in your area. Go to Meetup.com and search for AR, VR, Virtual Reality, XR, or metaverse. If you can’t find one, then find a game dev group by searching for game development topics. This can be hugely motivating if you find a good one. (15 mins) Week 4️⃣ 🥽 Read from Learning C# by Developing Games with Unity (1 hrs) 🥽 Continue the Unity JR. Programmer Pathway from Unity (2 hrs) 🥽 Download & play a random VR application from App Lab. Have fun! (20 mins) |
| April | Week 1️⃣ 🥽 Read from Learning C# by Developing Games with Unity (1 hrs) 🥽 Continue the Unity JR. Programmer Pathway from Unity (2 hrs) 🥽 Re-watch the “Iron Man” marvel movies to see how Tony Stark interacts with Jarvis. Might give you some AR or VR user interface (UI) ideas! (Optional) Week 2️⃣ 🥽 Read from Learning C# by Developing Games with Unity (1 hrs) 🥽 Continue the Unity JR. Programmer Pathway from Unity (2 hrs) 🥽 Join Spatial Ape, a VR meetup for VR and AR devs. Link coming soon, but you can subscribe to the newsletter here: https://spatialape.ck.page/profile (10 mins) Week 3️⃣ 🥽 Read from Learning C# by Developing Games with Unity (1 hrs) 🥽 Continue the Unity JR. Programmer Pathway from Unity (2 hrs) 🥽 Check out the XR Ecomap website to see what VR companies are in your city. (I found a ton of them in Boston!) (20 mins) Week 4️⃣ 🥽 Read from Learning C# by Developing Games with Unity (1 hrs) 🥽 Finish the Unity JR. Programmer Pathway from Unity (2 hrs) 🥽 Download & play a random VR application from App Lab. (20 mins) |
| May | Week 1️⃣ 🥽 Start the Unity VR Development Pathway (1 hr) 🥽 Read from Learning C# by Developing Games with Unity (1 hrs) 🥽 Watch this video on the History of C# https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7-9iXvx88I Fascinating story! (20 mins) Week 2️⃣ 🥽 Read from Learning C# by Developing Games with Unity (1 hrs) 🥽 Continue the Unity VR Development Pathway (2 hrs) 🥽 Find an read Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash a story about “a katana-wielding hacker who jumps back and forth between dystopian Los Angeles and a virtual world called the Metaverse.” – WIRED (Optional) Week 3️⃣ 🥽 Read from Learning C# by Developing Games with Unity (1 hrs) 🥽 Continue the Unity VR Development Pathway (2 hrs) 🥽 Take a look at the biggest annual XR hackathon out there. Can you apply? Can you get there? It’s a career changing opportunity, so take a look: https://www.mitrealityhack.com/ (15 mins) Week 4️⃣ 🥽 Finish reading from Learning C# by Developing Games with Unity (as needed) 🥽 Continue the Unity VR Development Pathway (2 hrs) 🥽 Download & play a random VR application from App Lab. (20 mins) |
| June | Week 1️⃣ 🥽 Continue the Unity VR Development Pathway (2 hrs) 🥽 Subscribe to the VRARA newsletter that interests you most & take a look at their website https://www.thevrara.com/newsletter (20 mins) Week 2️⃣ 🥽 Continue the Unity VR Development Pathway (2 hrs) 🥽 If you have Audible, consider buying “Extended Reality in Practice“. This book has dozens of great uses cases in XR worth learning about (15 mins) Week 3️⃣ 🥽 Finish the Unity VR Development Pathway (2 hrs) 🥽 Subscribe to RoadtoVR for great VR news via their newsletter and follow them on Twitter (15 mins) Week 4️⃣ 🥽 Find and join a game jam like VRJam2022 example… Here are some instructions on how to find one. I wrote this at a previous job : ) https://www.xrterra.com/gamejams/ (2 hrs) 🥽 Brainstorm a personal project. If you feel stuck, read this article for inspiration… (20 mins) 🥽 Download & play a random VR application from App Lab. (20 mins) |
| July | Week 1️⃣ 🥽 Start a portfolio website with lots of GIFs and links to your projects. Need an example? Check out my portfolio site: https://xrgif.com/casey-armstrong/ (1 hrs) 🥽 Follow Jon Radoff on Twitter, and check out his thoughts about the future of an open metaverse. He also covers these topics on YouTube with explainer videos. (15 mins) 🥽 Follow Cas and Cherry for hardware and software reviews on YouTube. They are always super thorough with their tutorials and reviews. (15 mins) Week 2️⃣ 🥽 Consider taking a computer science course or courses for free online or through a school. Community colleges often have computer science classes that you can attend for a reasonable rate. I have been told by many professional devs that having a strong background in computer science will help you in your career as a developer immensely. (1 hrs) 🥽 Search Indeed to see what comes up when you enter search terms such as “VR” “Virtual Reality” “Simulation”, “XR”, “Augmented Reality”, etc. Get a feeling of what’s out there. (1 hrs) 🥽 Follow Thrillseeker on YouTube & watch a video, the most famous and entertaining of VR youtubers out there. (10 mins) Week 3️⃣ 🥽 Print out this C# & Unity dev cheat-sheet by Vishnu Sivan. Scroll to the bottom of this article to find the PDF download link. Take a moment to browse it, and keep it close to pick-up and read every other day, etc., to keep your memory fresh. (15 mins) 🥽 Read a little bit more about fresh info on hardware requirements for developing for VR or read it from one of my older blogposts here. (15 mins) Week 4️⃣ 🥽 Learn how to create prototypes quickly with Shapes XR. Check out this blogpost I wrote reviewing its use for Hackathons. https://medium.com/@CrowdsourcingKC/should-you-use-shapesxr-unity-at-the-mit-reality-hack-4c475a1b28d4 (20 mins) 🥽 Download & play a random VR application from App Lab. (20 mins) |
| Aug | Week 1️⃣ 🥽 Take a moment to learn about Probuilder https://unity.com/features/probuilder(more info coming soon) (1 hrs) 🥽 Explore and consider learning Blender to get good at 3D modeling https://www.blender.org/ (1 hrs) 🥽 Peruse the Gravity Sketch website, a popular sculpting tool for VR designers: https://www.gravitysketch.com/ (20 mins) Week 2️⃣ 🥽 Coursera (Free option for learning XR, take a look) https://www.coursera.org/specializations/extended-reality-for-everybody ( hrs) 🥽 Follow Dinesh Punni VR Dev Youtuber and teacher https://www.youtube.com/@DineshPunni (hrs) 🥽 Check out this big resource guide on learning XR: https://github.com/authorTom/ultimate-XR-dev-guide (15 mins) Week 3️⃣ 🥽 Subscribe to “This Week in XR” (with Charlie Fink) https://www.youtube.com/@thisweekinxr2897 (15 mins) 🥽 Follow the talks at AWE, a popular XR conference: https://www.youtube.com/@AWEXR (15 mins) Week 4️⃣ 🥽 If you’re curious about AR take a look at and consider trying Unity’s mobile AR pathway: https://learn.unity.com/pathway/mobile-ar-development (2 hrs) 🥽 Learn the difference between photogrammetry vs NeRF: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9JyKQTxTY4 (20 mins) 🥽 Download & play a random VR application from App Lab. (20 mins) |
| Sep | Week 1️⃣ 🥽 Watch a GDC (Game Developers Conference) talk on VR development https://www.youtube.com/@Gdconf/videos (1 hrs) 🥽 Explore Unity Visual Scripting: https://unity.com/features/unity-visual-scripting (1 hrs) 🥽 Take a look at what Designers are learning to get into Unity-based jobs via this Unity pathway, skip around and take a look: https://learn.unity.com/learn/pathways (20 mins) 🥽 Look through your LinkedIn connections. Do any of them work in XR? Look at their work history to better understand their journey of how they got there. (15 mins) Week 2️⃣ 🥽 Read this research paper on VR in the Design Process: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348143386_Virtual_Reality_in_Design_Processes_-_a_literature_review_of_benefits_challenges_and_potentials ( 1 hr) 🥽 Search for a “Virtual Reality” focused Discord to join and explore, https://findadiscord.com/search. (1 hr) 🥽 Randomly share your progress on your VR creative journey with a friend, colleague, or relative. Sharing your goals and progress is highly motivating. (15 mins) Week 3️⃣ 🥽 Send out a message on your LinkedIn or a gaming discord to see if anyone would want to be your accountability partner for your learning projects. Most people will be too busy, but you might get lucky and find someone looking for the same thing as you! (30 mins) 🥽 Learn about different VR platforms (e.g., Oculus, SteamVR, PSVR). A google search or a chat with ChatGPT will do! (15 mins) 🥽 Investigate VR optimization techniques for better performance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swQFRKlgL24 (1 hrs) Week 4️⃣ 🥽 Learn about one of the biggest haptic feedback companies in VR by looking through their website and marketing materials. See if you can find them at a future conference so that you can demo the tech: https://haptx.com/ (1 hrs) 🥽 Take a peek at hand tracking in VR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ3fygb9Aw0 (20 mins) 🥽 Download & play a random VR application from App Lab. (20 mins) |
| Oct | Week 1️⃣ 🥽 Investigate the use of AI and machine learning in VR experiences, such as natural language processing for conversational agents. ( hrs) 🥽 Take a look at how some people are using ChatGPT to learn VR dev and make games: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYj_d_Q4Aeo (1 hr) 🥽 Learn about XR in medicine by following related newsletters and Slack groups, etc. https://medvr.io/ (20 mins) 🥽 Learn about spatial audio in VR and how to create immersive soundscapes for your projects. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCObQSNRqN4 (15 mins) Week 2️⃣ 🥽 Learn more about multi-user VR experiences and learn about networking solutions for real-time interaction. https://thegabmeister.com/blog/vr-multiplayer-unity/ & https://doc.photonengine.com/fusion/current/industries-samples/metaverse/fusion-metaverse-overview (1 hr) 🥽 Learn about Pancake lenses, the pomising new screen technology for VR: https://singularityhub.com/2022/09/25/better-virtual-reality-displays-are-coming-and-theyll-likely-exploit-a-quirk-of-the-human-eye/ (1 hr) 🥽 Check out the site, VR Compare to help you get a good birds eye view of VR hardware: https://vr-compare.com/ (15 mins) Week 3️⃣ 🥽 Learn about the ethical considerations surrounding VR development, such as privacy concerns and the impact on mental health. https://technologyandsociety.org/virtual-reality-ethical-challenges-and-dangers/ (1 hrs) 🥽 Investigate the use of VR for storytelling and narrative experiences, such as interactive movies or immersive theater productions. https://arvrjourney.com/top-10-free-ar-vr-narratives-and-storytelling-experiences-740fd41789e (15 mins) 🥽 Learn about the history of VR and its evolution from early concepts to modern consumer technology. https://virtualspeech.com/blog/history-of-vr (1 hr) Week 4️⃣ 🥽 Look at how Prisms VR is using VR to help teach kids math: https://www.prismsvr.com/ (2 hrs) 🥽 Learn why VR is popular in architectural design: https://parametric-architecture.com/virtual-reality-and-how-are-architects-using-it-in-design/ (20 mins) 🥽 Download & play a random VR application from App Lab. (20 mins) |
| Nov | Week 1️⃣ 🥽 Explore the potential of VR in journalism, allowing users to experience news events from different perspectives. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17512786.2020.1799237 (1 hrs) 🥽 Learn how to achieve hyper-realism in VR: https://varjo.com/vr-lab/how-to-create-hyper-realistic-avatars-in-virtual-reality-and-mixed-reality/ ( hrs) 🥽 Learn more about the company, Varjo, who make high end Vr headsets for the enterprise: https://varjo.com/vr-lab/ (20 mins) 🥽 Follow LucasRizzoto on YouTube. he has some great videos on his creative VR and AR projects that are always novel and entertaining. (15 mins) Week 2️⃣ 🥽 Learn about VR and accesibility: https://www.wired.com/story/virtual-reality-accessibility-disabilities/ (1 hrs) 🥽 VR Sculpting and Painting: Engage in artistic activities using VR tools like Tilt Brush, Medium, or Quill, allowing users to create immersive 3D sculptures and paintings in a virtual environment. https://quill.fb.com/ (2 hrs) 🥽 Download a game with passthrough capabilities like Dungeon Maker: https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/5379303768747494/ (15 mins) Week 3️⃣ 🥽 Read books and eBooks about VR development, user experience, and industry best practices. I recommend “Extended Reality in Practice” by Bernard Marr. (2 hrs) 🥽 Search YouTube for the latest leaks and updates on the next “upcoming VR headset. Right now that’s the Quest 3. It will be interesting to see how compelling the color passthrough use cases will be for the device. (15 mins) 🥽 Take a looks at https://www.harvardxr.com/. Do they have an event this year? Can you make it? (15 mins) Week 4️⃣ 🥽 Watch a lecture on UI design in VR: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6FPoOJ4AuM (1 hr) 🥽 Explore the Google Maps API and try our Google Earth (if you can). Think about how you might use Google Maps, Google Streetview or other maps API’s to make a VR expereince that uses real world map data. https://developers.google.com/maps (20 mins) 🥽 Download & play a random VR application from App Lab. (20 mins) |
| Dec | Week 1️⃣– Week 4️⃣ 🥽 VR Music Creation: Experiment with creating and mixing music in virtual reality using applications like SoundStage VR, TribeXR DJ School, or EXA: The Infinite Instrument, allowing users to explore new ways to compose and perform music. https://www.tribexr.com/ 🥽 Reflect on progress: Review acquired skills and completed projects. 🥽 Create a portfolio: Showcase your best VR work. Find someone else with a portfolio website you admire, and emulate it. 🥽 Identify improvement areas: Plan to address skill gaps next year. 🥽 Explore trends: Research emerging VR technology and its potential impact. Update resume: Add new VR skills and projects. 🥽 Set next year’s goals: Learn new tools or focus on specific VR aspects. 🥽 Join VR hackathons (many listed above): Test your skills, collaborate, and network with developers. 🥽 Share knowledge: Write blog posts or make tutorials about VR experiences. Network with professionals: Connect with VR studios and companies. Celebrate achievements: Reward yourself and relax before tackling new challenges. Congrats! You’ve come a long way on your VR development journey this year. Keep up the great work, stay curious, and continue pushing your boundaries. Your dedication and passion for VR will lead you to even greater success in the future. Congratulations, and here’s to a fantastic new year of learning and growth! Cheers! & Feel free to say hi & ask questions on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CrowdsourcingKC |
Big Picture:
I have curated these resources for aspiring VR developers, but ultimately, it’s up to you to decide how and when to use them. My goal is to help you navigate the vast array of free learning materials available.
While I’ve structured this as a one-year plan, feel free to adjust the timeline to suit your needs. Think of it as a series of steps you can take to develop your skills and knowledge, rather than a strict schedule to follow.
If you feel discouraged at any point, remember that even a few hours of practice each week can make a difference. Learning VR development is a long and challenging journey, but perseverance is key. There may be few moments of instant gratification, but have faith in yourself and in the value of the skills you’re acquiring.
Please note that this guide is a work in progress. Check back soon for updates and additional resources.
Special thanks to my XR friends for offering suggestions to add…
This post Sponsored by Spatial Ape 🦍, the most happening place for VR Devs
Notes & Suggestions from Readers:
Tweet at https://twitter.com/CrowdsourcingKC if you have any suplementary learning materials or points you’d like to add here.
🥽 Do one for AR dev next : ) -Elizabeth
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