Quickstart for Google VR in Unity on iOS

This guide shows you how to set up Google VR development with Unity and build a demo Cardboard app for iOS.

Set up your development environment

Hardware requirements:

  • You'll need an iPhone 5 or higher, running iOS 8.0 or higher.

  • You'll need a Cardboard viewer.

Software requirements:

  • Install Unity:

    Make sure that the iOS Build Support component is selected during installation.

  • Make sure your environment is configured for iOS development.

    Refer to Unity's guide for Getting started with iOS development.

Download the Google VR SDK for Unity

  • Download the latest GoogleVRForUnity_*.unitypackage from the releases page.

    The SDK includes the following demo scenes for Cardboard:

    Scene Description
    HelloVR Simple VR game in which you find and select a cube

Create a new Unity project and import the Google VR Unity package

  1. Open Unity and create a new 3D project.

  2. Select Assets > Import Package > Custom Package.

  3. Select the GoogleVRForUnity_*.unitypackage file that you downloaded.

  4. In the Importing Package dialog, click Import.

    Accept any API upgrades, if prompted.

Configure build settings and player settings

  1. Select File > Build Settings.

  2. Select iOS and click Switch Platform.

  3. In the Build Settings window, click Player Settings.

    Configure the following player settings:

    Setting Value
    Player Settings > Other Settings > Virtual Reality Supported Enabled
    Player Settings > Other Settings > SDKs Click + and select Cardboard
    Player Settings > Other Settings > Target minimum iOS version 8.0 or higher
    Player Settings > Other Settings > Bundle Identifier Follow reverse the DNS format suggested by Apple

Preview the demo scene in Unity

  1. In the Unity Project window, go to Assets > Google VR > Demos > Scenes. Open the HelloVR scene.

  2. Press the Play button. In the Game view you should see a rendered demo scene.

    Note that although the scene here is monoscopic, the rendering on your phone will be stereo.

  3. Interact with the scene using simulation controls:

    Type Simulated action What to do
    Head movement Turn your head Hold Alt + move mouse
    Tilt your view Hold Control + move mouse
    Cardboard input Button press Click anywhere in the Game view

Build and run the demo scene on your device

  1. Connect your phone to your computer using a USB cable.

  2. Select File > Build and Run.

    Unity builds your project and opens the generated Xcode workspace.

  3. Put the phone in your viewer and try out the demo.

Next steps