5 VR Tools and Software to Try Today

0

Whenever virtual reality is mentioned in a conversation, people commonly picture big and bulky headsets. Yet headsets and hardware are only a part of the story – VR tools and software are the essence of the virtual experience. Quite literally, the code is the magic behind the machinery.

As interest in AR/VR tech increases, so does the influx of entrepreneurs making VR tools. VR solutions have permeated every industry, and are trickling down fast into consumer markets. Here’s a shortlist of VR tools you can try today:

VR Meeting and Conferencing – NextMeet

Virtual meetings were already catching on before the pandemic gripped the world and catalysed the mass adoption of remote working tools. Just as quickly as the world caught on to using online meeting applications like Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet, there has been a growing understanding that multi-feed UIs and flat audio outputs are not ergonomic. This gap has led to a drop in participants’ engagement.

NextMeet - VR Meeting Software | Affinity VR Image Courtesy: NextMeet

NextMeet is an avatar-based immersive platform that enables real-time virtual conferencing and networking in a 3D environment. A mass market offering, this platform is PC and mobile-friendly. Offering virtual meeting spots, seminar halls, expo spaces and even an art gallery, NextMeet mimics the hallmarks of in-person communication to make online interaction less dreary.

With ergonomic features such as realistic spatial audio, a 3D interactive environment with customizable elements, and advertising spaces, NextMeet is an especially effective VR tool for corporate meetings as well as events. The virtual reality software is available for free download.

2. VR for Asset Design – unityXR

We’re living in the golden age of digital assets, and the evolution of new forms of creative output and the tools used to produce them are two sides of the same coin. Unity 3D has been the industry leader in digital assets creation software for a long while, and they have brought their expertise to XR tools as well. Unity XR is an expansion to the Unity graphic engine that allows users to develop their own AR, VR and XR assets.

Unity XR offers users a variety of features such as Native VR support for devices, API tool kit compatibility with all major VR headsets, and the ability to develop XR modules easily. The UI is simple, intuitive, making it easy for designers to start creating in XR. Unity also offers forward compatibility, making it one of the best VR software for PC to download.

Creative designers with XR expertise will soon be high in demand. Foreseeing this, Unity is also offering classes in AR/VR/XR to help designers onboard the tech trend.

3. VR for Real Estate – VirtualSpaces

Despite the sweeping changes made across the world by the digital revolution, the real estate sector has lagged behind on adopting future-ready practices. Pictures and videos don’t typically occupy prime status in the sector – real estate is driven by personal inspection, consumers only believe it if they see it. This tendency has influenced everything from design practices to sales activities.

VirtualSpaces - VR for Real Estate Software | Affinity VRImage Courtesy: thisisengineering from Pexels

Virtual Spaces is a VR tool for the real estate industry, catering to both ends – clients and developers. This mobile VR app helps its users perform all steps of property development and client servicing remotely. Using VR makes it possible to show properties to buyers from the safety of their homes, crucial in an increasingly remote world. Unlike pictures and videos, immersive virtual reality can render any property without loss of perspective or detail, reducing logistic costs and sales conversion time for designers, developers and agents.

While the full potential of this app is yet to be realized, it can be accessed upon request on the Oculus Store.

4. VR for Presentations – Present4D

For every business pitch, the presentation is an essential part of the communication. Demos and eye-catching presentations boost client interest; in a world where the movement of people can be a public health hazard, VR presentation tools can help deliver the immersive experience of a live demonstration without compromising safety.

Present4D is VR software for PC that helps its users in creating 360 based virtual presentations. The output can be customized for the client, covering as wide a ground as interactive documentaries and school presentations. The VR tool is especially suited to create product demonstrations using 360 pictures and videos. Present4D is easy to use, and comes with preinstalled graphic modules for the ease of new users.

The VR software is available to solo users as well as enterprises. While its price may restrict its use to businesses, it offers a free license for non-commercial uses that solo users can avail.

5. VR for Education – HistoryViews

Of all sectors, VR has taken the firmest roots in education. With distance learning being the need of the hour, current online meeting applications are falling short of supporting long-term student-teacher engagement. VR tools for education are a great middle path between the personal connection of classroom teaching and the convenience & safety of distance learning.

HistoryView is a unique VR-ready archive for schoolgoing children, focusing on their cultural and extracurricular growth. This VR tool takes children on virtual visits to important cultural sites and museums around the world – taking the concept of distance learning one step further with virtual field trips. Accessible via PCs, Chromebooks and VR devices, HistoryView makes it possible for students to broaden their horizons without being bound to their location on the map.

HistoryViews - VR for Education | Affinity VRImage Courtesy: Norma Mortenson from Pexels

As AR/VR solutions diversify, more and more users are joining the fold. While many of these solutions may be a tad too expensive for the casual user, there is no dearth of free VR tools and trials that can help consumers make up their mind before making a purchase. Until VR tech reaches critical momentum in terms of costs and applicability, these tools and software will continue to be a critical gateway to the market – a win-win for new users as well as VR tech developers.

About Author