Mobile VR with Android

Mobile VR can be a way to prototype for console VR headsets. Being quick and easy, it would take less time for faster feedback on a game. For Week 3 I began learning the basics to create my own Mobile VR with our Unity projects. I used my previous project I completed from last week to make my first VR experience on mobile.

After figuring out the correct settings, I was able to import it into my brother's android phone and the Google Cardboard app. Luckily my dad just happen to have a mobile VR headset so that I could test it out and see what it was like.

Here's my mum's reaction to along with a clipping of the animation screen! This was her first time experiencing VR so it was especially enjoyable to see her surprise.

Learning to make mobile VR work has sparked a passion for creating virtual experiences and adds to my skill set within learning Unity. Previously I had not considered VR as something I could make within my capabilities because it has always been difficult for me to grasp. Now I find that it can be fairly simple to do once you get the hang of it! I had trouble navigating the menus bar and a lot of error showed up. Big thanks to Prasanth for helping me solve them!

It is fascinating to see the way immersion takes away our senses to give presence to virtual objects. I relate this back its concept- spatial, object and social presence which define to create an illusion of reality. It is clear that mobile VR gives presence to the space and object. This may make some feel that they are in another space or that the object is real as seen with my mother's reaction. From my experience, mobile VR still only provides a limited experience of immersion without enough stimuli of the senses. My demo project only gave the visual stimuli although the sound could have been added.

Image retrieved from Billinghurst M. (2020) Lecture 3.

VR systems are dependent on input and output devices of human and actions (Billinghurst M. 2020). I can understand that the motivation of a VR illusion uses human perception to stimulate sensory input. More types of sensory manipulation with technology make a greater realistic and immersive experience. I don't think mobile VR provide the best visual or audio capabilities and other stimulating major senses may not be adaptable currently. However, it fulfils the key technologies for mixed reality systems; visual and tactile display, tracking and input interactivity.

Image retrieved from Billinghurst M. (2020) Lecture 3.

For these reasons, Mobile VR is still undeniable a great budget solution to testing a VR experience of a game without owning a specialised head mount display (HMD). This is why I believe it is a viable option for creating prototypes of this kind. There can be immediate feedback and it is quick to get back to iterate the project.

In my own practice, I intend to continue using mobile VR to test and gain feedback on prototype experiences. This experience of VR has given me greater interest to expand my knowledge and skills surrounding the mixed realities topic. I look forward to seeing how I will develop in the future.

References:

Sasikumari, P. (2020). Designing Mixed Realities. Unity Basics & Mobile VR

Billinghurst, M. (2020). Designing Mixed Realities. Prototyping Mixed Realities

#mixedrealities #unity #mobileVR