Create a VR Game in 20 Minutes: A Beginner's Journey

In this blog, you'll learn to create a mini VR game that combines haptic feedback with interactive elements for a truly immersive experience. By the end of this guide, you'll have a functional VR mini-game that you can build for both Quest standalone and PCVR devices.

1. Introduction

In the previous blogs, we explored designing haptics using Meta's Haptic Studio and integrating it into Unity with the Haptics SDK. We also discussed creating various types of interactions with the Interaction SDK.

2. Overview

Today, our goal is to combine haptics and interaction to create an immersive VR experience for both Quest Standalones and PCVR devices.

3. Prerequisites

Unity Installation: Ensure you have the latest version of Unity installed with the latest version of Meta XR All-in-One SDK.

4. Project Settings for Quest Standalone devices

Now to setup the project for Quest Standalone:

• Navigate to File → Build Settings→ Select Android and switch the platform.

• Go to Player Settings → XR Plugin Management and select Oculus as the plugin provider.

• Go to Meta XR → Apply the recommended settings by clicking on FIX ALL .

  
  

5. Developing the Game Scene

Let’s start by download a custom package which has all the assets and script you’ll need to build this VR game.

5.1 Minigame Overview

Before we start setting up our scene, let’s see how the the mini game works

5.1.1 Tutorial

• The user starts of in the tutorial scene, where they are prompted to grab the bow and an arrow.
• Upon grabbing the bow user is prompted to press the trigger to activate the shield.
• The game logic verifies if the user has performed all the three actions of grabbed the bow, pressed the trigger, and grabbed an arrow.
• Upon successful verification, tutorial enemies are activated. They shoot at the user, and move around them.
• The user is then prompted to shoot at the enemies twice to eliminate them.

5.1.2 Main Game:

• After the tutorial, users can access the main game.
• In the main game, enemies spawn in waves, and the objective is to survive as long as possible.

5.2 Scene Setup

Now that you know how the game works, let’s set-up our scene.

• Navigate to Haptics ISDK Package → Scenes and open the Main Scene

• To add OVR Interaction Rig, right-click on Hierarchy → Navigate to Interaction ISDK → Select Add OVR Interaction Rig.

• Set Up Bow and Arrow Interactions

  • Right-click on Bow → Navigate to Interaction SDK → Select Add Grab Interaction
  • Use Grab Wizard to select interactors and grab types and click on Create. This will create a Grab Interactable game object with all the components required to enabling grabbing.
  • Next, create an empty object called BowGrabPoint, which we’ll uses to constrain grab angles. So, set the transformation values as X=0, Y=0, Z=0.09
  • Then, go to ISDK_HandGrabInteraction → Drag BowGrabPoint and drop it in the Grab Source parameter of the Grab Interactable component.

  
  

• Configure String Interaction

  • Right-click on ArrowAttachPoint , Navigate to Interaction SDK → Select Add Grab Interaction.
  • This will create once again create a Grab Interactable game object with all the components required to enabling grabbing.
  • Now when we grab the string, we want to be able to pull it on the one direction, so add a component called Grab Free Transformer to the ISDK_HandGrabInteraction gameobject → Check all the constraint of the Position and Rotation values → Constrain the Z-axis position between min = -0.25 and max = 0.
  • Scroll all the way up → Drag and drop Grab Free Transformer into the One Grab Transformer parameter of the Grabbable component. 

  
  

• Now to setup the entire bow and arrow interaction, reference the parameters as mentioned below:

  • Select the SpecialBow prefab,
    • assign it’s child object ISDK_HandGrabInteraction to the Grabbable and Interactable parameters of the Bow Interaction component.
    • from OVRCameraRig → OVRCameraRigComprehensive → OVR Controllers → Select LeftController and reference it to the controller parameter of the Controller Button Usage Active State component.
  • Select the ArrowAttachPoint gameobject, assign it’s child object ISDK_HandGrabInteraction to the String Grab Interactable and String Grabbable parameters of the Arrow to Bow Interaction component.
  • Select the Arrow prefab, assign it’s child object ISDK_HandGrabInteraction to the Arrow Grab Interactable and Arrow Grabbable  parameters of the Arrow Interaction component.

• Add Player Health Component

  • Navigate to OVRCameraRigInteraction → Tracking Space → Select CenterEyeAnchor  and add the Player Health component.

  • Add Box Collider→ adjust size and position to X=0.2, Y=1.3, Z=0.2 → check the IS Trigger parameter.

  • Select CenterEyeCamera → Drop it in Player Health  parameter of the in Main Game Controller component of the MainGameController gameobject.

• Apply Changes to Prefabs

  • Select the Arrow and SpecialBow prefabs
  • From the Overrides dropdown Make sure to Apply all changes

  
  

• Testing the Bow and Arrow Interaction

  • Navigate to File → Build Settings
  • Select Player Settings → XR Plugin Management
  • Ensure Oculus is checked in the PC tab
  • Connect headset using Link or Air Link from the link here
  • Press Play

  Now you should be able to grab the bow, grab an arrow and bring it closer to interact with both. Upon releasing the grab button, the arrow will get fired with a force proportional to the amount of string pull.

5.3 Add Haptics for Interactions

Now to add haptics for each of the interaction like the pulling the string, shooting the arrow and activating the shield, we need to write a couple of scripts.

• First, you can find a script called Haptics Controller, this script provides a simple way to reference and access the Controller component, which is used to trigger haptic feedback.

• To use this script, head to OVRCameraRigInteraction → OVRCameraRig → OVRCameraRigComprehensive → OVR Controllers → Go to LeftController and RightController → ControllerInteractors → for both Controllers, add the HapticsController Script → Make sure the script chooses Left for LeftController and Right for RightController

• Next, you can find the script called BowInteractionHapticsManager. This script,

  • triggers specific vibration patterns for actions such as pulling the bowstring, shooting an arrow, and interacting with a shield, which provides feedback for actions like opening, closing, or blocking projectiles.
  • listens for events when the bow and string are grabbed or released and adjusts the haptic feedback accordingly.
  • it also dynamically updates the string pull feedback based on the strength of the pull and plays corresponding haptic responses using different priority levels for each action.

• Now add this script to the SpecialBow prefab and to set it up, reference the parameters as mentioned below:

  • For the Bow Grab Interactable parameter, drag and drop the ISDK_HandGrabInteraction.
  • For the String Grab Interactable parameter, drag and drop the ISDK_HandGrabInteraction of ArrowAttachPoint.
  • Assign the respective haptics clips to each of the following:
    • String Pull Haptics Clip = StringPull (Haptic Clip)
    • Arrow Shot Haptics Clip = ShootArrow (Haptic Clip)
    • Shield Open Haptics Clip = ShieldActivated (Haptic Clip)
    • Projectile Blocked Clip = ProjectileBlocked (Haptic Clip)

  

  
  

• Since audio and haptics go hand in hand, we have another script called the Audio Manager. This script has a the same functionality as the bow haptics manager but it plays audio instead of the haptics effect.

• Add this script to the SpecialBow prefab and reference the parameters as follows:

  • For the String Grab Interactable parameter, refernce ISDK_HandGrabInteraction of the ArrowAttachPoint gameobject.

  • Create two AudioSource , one on the Shield and one on the StringVisual . Then reference them to the respective Audio Source parameters.

  • For the audio clips, assign its respective clip

  • For the Stretch Audio Step parameter→ Choose the last present

    

    
    

• Now finally make sure to apply all overrides for this prefab and save the scene.

6. Tutorial Scene Setup

Alright, not it’s time to setup the tutorial scene.

• Select the Tutorial Scene and add it to your hierarchy.
• Duplicate the OVRCameraRigInteraction and move it inside the Tutorial Scene.
• Remove the Main Scene (no need to save changes).
• Navigate to Arrow → ISDK_HandGrabInteraction.
• Scroll down and add the Interactable Unity Event Wrapper component.
• Drag and drop the ISDK_HandGrabInteraction gameobject inside the Interactable View and select Grab Interactable.
• In the Interactable Unity Event Wrapper component, add an item to event “On Selected” → reference the Tutorial Game Controller→ from the dropdown select Tutorial Game Controller and choose On Arrow Grabbed.
• Similarly, Navigate to SpecialBow Prefab → ISDK_HandGrabInteraction → Add the Interactable Unity Event Wrapper component.
• Drag and drop the ISDK_HandGrabInteraction gameobject inside the Interactable View and select Grab Interactable.
• In the Interactable Unity Event Wrapper component, add an item to event “On Selected” → reference the Tutorial Game Controller→ from the dropdown select Tutorial Game Controller and choose On Bow Grabbed.

7. Building Standalone Application

With that we finished developing or game. Now to build and test it

• Navigate to File → Build Settings.
• Add the Tutorial Scene.
• Select the Main Scene → Drag and drop it into the build settings.
• Connect your Quest device.
• Click Build and Run.
• Create a new folder named Builds.
• Name your file and click Save.

Once the build is successfully you can test the game on your headset. While testing the interaction you’ll notice:

• Grabbing the bow and pulling the string activates the haptics and audio.
• Pressing the trigger to open the shield and will activate the haptics and last till the shield is completely activated.

After the game ends, you can choose to Retry or Quit.

8. PCVR Project Setup

Now let’s see how build this game for other PCVR devices.

• Navigate to File → Build Settings → Select Windows → Switch Platform.
• Navigate to Player Settings → XR Plugin Management → Select OpenXR as the plugin provider.
• If prompted to enable Meta XR feature set, click on Cancel.
• Navigate to OpenXR → Add interaction profiles:
  • Valve Index Controller
  • HTC Vive Controller
  • Oculus Touch Controller
  • Meta Quest Touch Pro Controller
• Select Project Validation → Scroll down till you find a recommendation to have either OpenXR or Oculus as the plugin provider, click on Edit → Remove Oculus XR Plugin.

9. PCVR Scene Setup

The way the scene is setup for PCVR is slight different but not too much.

9.1 Main Scene Setup

• Navigate inside Haptics ISDK Package → Scenes→ Open Main Scene.

• Select OVRCameraRigInteraction → Delete it.

• Right-click on the hierarchy → navigate inside Interaction SDK → Add Unity XR Interaction Rig.

• Open child objects → Navigate inside XR Space → Select Main Camera.

• Add Player Health component → Add Box Collider → Adjust size and position (Center = 0, 0.6, 0 | Size = 0.2, 1.2, 0.2)→ Check Is Trigger.

  

• Open child objects of UnityXRInteractionComprehensive → Select XRControllerHands → Disable it. Insted, select UnityXRControllers → Enable it.

• Select controller interactors for both left and right controllers → Add HapticController component.

• Adjust the transform of BowGrabPoint:

  • X-axis: 270
  • Y-axis: 0
  • Z-axis: -90

• Adjust the transform of ArrowGrabPoint:

  • Rotate Y-axis by 180

• Select both prefabs and make sure to Override changes.

  

  
  

9.2 Tutorial Scene Setup

• Drag and drop the Tutorial Scene → Duplicate UnityXRCameraRigInteraction from the Main Scene → Move it inside the Tutorial Scene.
• Remove the OVRCameraRigInteraction from the Tutorial Scene → Save both scenes.

10. Building PCVR Application

• Navigate to File → Build Settings → Click Build.

• Create a new folder called PC Builds → Select this folder as the build location.

  
  

After the build is successful you can test it on any PC VR devices. In this case the game was tested on a HTC Vive using SteamVR.

While testing you’ll notice that the haptics works perfectly fine and it syncs with the audio as well. However since HTC vive has a different type of vibration actuator it’s frequency cannot be altered, so you’ll notice a small difference when compared to the Quest standalone devices like Quest3 or Quest Pro.

Conclusion

Now that you have learned to use haptics and interaction together, you're equipped to create immersive VR experiences. The next steps for your project could include implementing player health systems, developing logic for tracking how many waves users survive, or adding enemy explosions to create controller vibrations. If you create something exciting, we invite you to share it with our community on Discord.

Thank you for following along with this tutorial. Be sure to like and subscribe for more content, and I look forward to seeing you in the next one. Happy developing!