08. Which Platform Is Right for YOU?

Time for a Thought Experiment

Now that you know a bit about a few of the major platforms that you can develop for, its now time to start thinking about what platform makes sense for you and what you want to build. It’s not an easy task, but something important to consider, especially if you need to buy better hardware.

To make this decision a bit more tangible, let’s do a small thought experiment.

Imagine you want to make a VR Education Application. This could be an exploration of the solar system, looking at fine grain detail of the human body, or teaching somebody how to program, just to name a few topics.

For this experiment, pick any topic you would like to teach. And don’t worry if it doesn’t make sense in VR, we will worry about that part later. Just something you are passionate about.

Got something in mind? Great!

To start, create a quick a Persona Profile of your student for this experience. Just as a reminder from the Design Course, you should include the following pieces of information.

• A Quick Doodle or Picture
• Age
• Occupation, if any
• Name
• A Quote
• 2-3 sentences describing what motivates them
• Their experience level with VR

Once you have that persona profile written, try to answer these questions.

• **How accessible would each VR platform be to your target student in terms of price? Take into account location, age, and income. **
• How interactive does your lesson need to be? For example, do I need to pick things up or could I get away with just looking at objects?
• How realistic do your visuals need to be in order to teach? For example, could I use 2D images and videos in a 3D Environment or do you need high poly 3D models.
• Does my student need to feel like a participant in the experience or can they be a passive viewer? Could they be both?
• Given the answers above, what are potential platforms you could use for your experience?

At the end of this thought experiment, you should hopefully come away with a better idea of what platforms you are more drawn towards.

QUESTION:

Based on what we've learned so far, which platform do you think is right for you? Why?

Take it a Step Further

Write your response in the form of a blog post and post it online.