How much does VR development cost?
Depending on the requirements, VR development costs anywhere from €6,000 for a simple 360° video to more than €250,000 for highly detailed simulations. Interactive VR applications built from ready-made components start at €13,000.
So the cost of developing a virtual reality application varies widely with the requirements of the project. Car prices are a useful comparison: a basic compact car costs far less than an SUV with every extra. The same goes for a simple VR game compared with a complex VR simulation. Neither is “better” in general, but each is better suited to a particular job. Let’s look at a few concrete examples.
1. Simpler VR projects: €6,000 to €25,000
An easy way into VR could be a 360° video production. Companies often use these videos in corporate communications or marketing to tell immersive stories, such as a virtual plant tour. Productions like this usually cost between €6,000 and €15,000. Viewers can look around a pre-produced scene but have little interaction. One example would be a presentation of a company’s headquarters or its production line.
If you want a bit more interaction, we can draw on a wide range of ready-made VR base simulations. That lets us build your project quickly and affordably from existing components and adapt it to your needs. This is often a good first project for an interactive company presentation, a simple product presentation or a recruiting project for trade shows. The price for this is between €13,000 and €25,000.
2. Interactive VR simulations: €25,000 to €80,000
More complex projects, such as an interactive VR simulation for training or product demonstrations, cost between €25,000 and €80,000. Applications like these let users interact extensively. Industrial companies often use this kind of project for individual training simulations or for sales, at customer sites or trade shows, for example to explain how to operate a machine. The same applies here: many of these projects start with a prototype for €12,000 to €25,000 and are expanded afterwards.
3. Complex projects: €100,000 to €250,000
For demanding projects with detailed simulations, prices start at €100,000, but a typical budget is €200,000. Examples include a simulation of a complete production process or a highly detailed product visualization for sales at trade shows.
Large projects start small. The budgets for interactive and complex simulations describe the scope a project reaches over time. It almost always starts with a prototype. After that, the application grows step by step, over months or years. We very rarely start a project with the full budget.
4. High-end projects: more than €250,000
It comes as no surprise: as everywhere else, there is no upper limit in virtual reality development. When the highest level of detail is required (often in the automotive sector) or very accurate, lifelike scenarios (training for emergency responders), development budgets run into the mid to high six figures.
Conclusion
The price of VR development varies widely with the requirements. Smaller projects are often a good way into VR simulations, and they can be expanded step by step over a longer period into more complex applications. We develop custom VR solutions with honest, realistic cost planning, so you know exactly what your project will cost and what value you can expect. So far, we have stayed within the budget in our quotes on every project. And we intend to keep it that way!
