Live class · Intro · 2 hours · Past session
Intro to VR in Unreal 5.8
with Alex Coulombe
Wed, Aug 12 · 11am–1pm ET
Taught live on Zoom and recorded.
About this session
The VR on-ramp: how virtual reality works, what the headset landscape looks like right now, and getting an Unreal 5.8 project running on a headset — with or without one on your desk.
What we covered
This session established core workflows for developing virtual reality experiences in Unreal Engine 5.8 using OpenXR and the standard VR template. Alex Coulombe walked through rendering pipeline choices, platform dependency setups, and methods for simulating headsets on desktop without physical hardware. The class also covered practical interaction authoring, including object grabbing mechanics, haptic feedback profiles, and 3D widget menu customization in Blueprints.
- 01Setting up XR simulators, OpenXR runtimes, and Android development dependencies for standalone headset packaging.
- 02Comparing forward shading against deferred rendering to meet the performance budgets required for virtual reality.
- 03Configuring Unreal Engine projects on macOS for Apple Vision Pro using the OpenXR VisionOS plugin.
- 04Designing comfortable VR experiences using locomotion methods, comfort vignettes, spectator cameras, and environmental cues.
- 05Running and navigating the VR template without a physical headset using the Meta XR Simulator.
- 06Implementing grabbable objects by adding grab components, setting collision profiles, and enabling physics simulation.
- 07Inspecting interactive weapon mechanics, projectile spawning, and haptic feedback assets using frequency and amplitude curves.
- 08Customizing BP_VRPawn to display motion controllers, modify resolution scale, and adjust input bindings.
- 09Adding interactive Blueprint logic to 3D widget menus to toggle scene lights using UMG buttons.
AI summary of the session recording's transcript — the recording itself is the source of truth.
