Build Virtual Worlds From Your Living Room
You've tried the headset. Now learn how the experiences inside it are actually made.
What you'll actually work with
VR development isn't stuck in 2018 anymore. The tools changed, the hardware got cheaper, and the platforms opened up.
Here's what we're using right now — the same stack studios rely on when they need something shipped.
Unity 2023 with XR Interaction Toolkit
No legacy plugins. No deprecated APIs. We're on the version that gets updates, not the one gathering dust in old tutorials.
Meta Quest 3 and PSVR2 builds
You'll deploy to hardware people actually own. Not theoretical platforms or discontinued headsets.
Tested performance budgets
Frame rate matters in VR more than anywhere else. You'll learn the numbers that keep players from feeling sick.
Interaction patterns from shipped games
We show you the grab mechanics, UI systems, and locomotion methods that passed certification and made it to stores.
Is this the right starting point for you?
You'll do well here if
- You've written code before — any language, any context. We're not teaching programming from scratch.
- You've spent time in VR as a player. You know what good tracking feels like and what breaks immersion.
- You're comfortable installing software and troubleshooting driver issues. VR dev has friction.
- You can dedicate 8-12 hours a week for three months. This isn't a weekend crash course.
- You have access to a VR headset or plan to get one within the first two weeks.
This won't work if
- You've never written a line of code. Start with general programming first, then come back.
- You're looking for no-code tools or drag-and-drop builders. We're writing C# and debugging shaders.
- You want to build the next Meta Horizon in six weeks. Scope management is part of the curriculum for a reason.
- You're expecting recorded lectures you can passively watch. This requires active building and iteration.
- You don't have a Windows PC with decent specs. Mac support for VR dev is still spotty.
What stays with you after
The tools will update. The headsets will improve. But some things don't expire with the next SDK release.
You'll understand 3D math and spatial reasoning in a way that transfers to any engine or platform.
You'll know why certain interactions feel wrong before you even test them. That instinct is what separates good VR from nauseating VR.
You'll have a workflow for prototyping, testing, and iterating that works whether you're solo or on a team.
You'll finish with three working demos you can show to studios or publish yourself. Not theoretical projects — shipped builds.
Who's teaching this
Kieran Lochner
Kieran shipped four VR titles between 2019 and 2023, two of which are still in the top 100 on Quest.
Before going independent, he spent three years at a Cape Town studio building training simulations for mining companies. That's where he learned what actually works when you need someone to remember spatial procedures under pressure.
Esme Duvenhage
Esme's background is in embedded systems, which means she thinks about performance and optimization differently than most Unity developers.
She joined the team after building a multiplayer VR prototype that ran at 72fps on Quest 1 hardware. She'll be the one showing you how to profile your builds and where the bottlenecks actually hide.
The context around you
You're not learning in isolation. There are 180 people currently enrolled, spread across 14 countries.
Most are working full-time jobs and building VR projects on the side. Some are switching from mobile or web dev. A few are designers who decided they needed to understand the technical side.
The Discord is active but not overwhelming. Questions get answered within a few hours, usually by other students before the instructors even see them.
Weekly co-working sessions run on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 19:00 SAST. Show up, share your screen, work through problems together. Completely optional but consistently useful.
