Current software exploited in virtual reality

Tracing the origins of software used in virtual reality is like tracing the origins of video game software – and, more specifically, game engines or 3D engines –, whose interests intersect with those of VR software, in the context of professional and industrial use.

While video games once had to be created entirely from scratch, the situation took a new turn in the 1980s with the arrival of the first game engines in the form of 2D game creation systems. Although they have evolved over the years, the aim of the game engine is to provide an arsenal of tools to facilitate and accelerate the development and construction of a 3D experience by enabling the reuse of meshes, code and textures.

The pace of evolution of game engines has continued to accelerate, so much so that many developers in the XR community have noticed that developing a game on an engine shares similarities with developing a VR experience: they can easily be integrated into platform-specific SDKs and customized with different APIs. This makes it possible to add and customize features such as physics, near-realistic graphics rendering, headsets, interfaces, scripting, remote collaboration, collision detection and even artificial intelligence to design interactive experiences that are even more immersive and sufficiently realistic. Better still, the game engine's programming language, which is generally known to developers – such as Java, C++, C# or Python – the tool's power, comprehensibility and adaptability have led to its adoption in the professional sector, particularly industry. Advances in video game technology have ushered in a new era of visualization and interaction, key elements and issues faced by some companies. This technology is used by industries to produce virtual experiences with real-time workflows, boosting efficiency and productivity. Today, it is even possible to combine VR software with professional software such as computer-aided design (CAD), building information modeling (BIM) or product lifecycle management (PLM) applications, with the ambition of reducing production costs or overcoming the complexity of the production process.

This article will take a closer look at the software used in virtual reality, focusing on the different ways it can be used in a professional setting, and how technological advances have helped improve these tools year after year to create the best VR experience.