XR Development with Unity: A beginner's guide to creating virtual, augmented, and mixed reality experiences using Unity

“As a Unity Certified Expert and Instructor, diving into XR Development with Unity: A Beginner’s Guide was a refreshing experience. This book is a hidden treasure for anyone eager to get a taste for the realm of Extended Reality (XR) using Unity.

The journey begins with a succinct history of XR, offering just the right amount of context for beginners. It’s like a quick time travel through XR’s evolution, setting the stage for what’s to come.

Then, we get a friendly walkthrough of Unity. It’s straightforward and clear, perfect for those new to the platform. The book shines in demystifying the differences between virtual reality and augmented reality in Unity, a crucial distinction for newcomers.

What I appreciate is how the book shows how to use the available project samples and built-in simulators for AR and VR. It’s a smart move, allowing beginners to experiment and learn without the need for advanced equipment. The approach to teaching is just right―it starts with creating interactions in a non-intimidating way, without code, before easing into scripting. It’s like learning to swim with floaties before diving into the deep end!

The chapter on sound is a delightful inclusion. Sound is a key player in bringing XR experiences to life, and the book acknowledges this beautifully.

And for those who like to peek into the future, the book doesn’t hold back. It ventures into advanced topics like hand tracking and gaze tracking, making it a valuable resource even as your skills grow. It also does a great job of acknowledging all of the different areas of our life where XR is showing up. It’s a lot more than games!

In conclusion, XR Development with Unity is a well-crafted guide that I wholeheartedly recommend. Whether you’re just starting out or already dabbling in XR, this book is a great companion on your development journey.”

—

Jason Harrison, Unity Certified Expert / Unity Certified Instructor, Sr. Engineering Manager at Salesforce and Tech Advisory Board member at Packt

Anna Braun is a Unity expert, who is specialized in creating XR applications. At Deutsche Telekom, Anna has developed XR prototypes in Unity. One prototype enabled warehouse workers to find commodities more easily through the use of special location data and Augmented Reality. At Fraunhofer, Anna specialized in Hand-Tracking and worked on a VR education platform. Her master’s degree in Extended Reality has a special focus on Eye Tracking, Deep Learning, and Computer Graphics. She is a published author in the tech space and regularly speaks at conferences hosted by academia or non-profits like the Mozilla Foundation. Anna co-founded a company that offers XR consulting and development.

Raffael Rizzo is a XR developer and Unity expert. During his work at Deutsche Telekom, he consulted companies on the use of digital twins and implemented augmented reality wayfinding solutions. At Fraunhofer IGD, Raffael worked on a VR education platform. He developed a VR training program for a soccer academy to test the children’s reaction times. For the same academy, Raffael created an application that uses computer vision and machine learning to automatically evaluate ball juggling. His master’s degree in Extended Reality encompasses Rendering, Computer Vision, Machine Learning, and 3D Visualization. Raffael co-founded a company specializing in XR consulting and development.