As virtual reality approaches mainstream consumer use, a vibrant development ecosystem has emerged in the past few years. This hands-on guide takes you through VR development essentials for desktop, mobile, and browser-based applications. You'll explore the three go-to platforms--OculusVR, Gear VR, and Cardboard VR--as well as several VR development environments, programming tools, and techniques.If you're an experienced programmer familiar with mobile development, this book will help you gain a working knowledge of VR development through clear and simple examples. Once you create a complete application in the final chapter, you'll have a jumpstart on the next major entertainment medium.Learn VR basics for UI design, 3D graphics, and stereo renderingExplore Unity3D, the current development choice among game enginesCreate native applications for desktop computers with the Oculus RiftDevelop mobile applications for Samsung's Gear VR with the Android and Oculus Mobile SDKsBuild browser-based applications with the WebVR Javascript API and WebGLCreate simple and affordable mobile apps for any smartphone with Google's Cardboard VRBring everything together to build a 360-degree panoramic photo viewer