Everyone knows that Virtual Reality (VR) has taken the world by storm, and it’s all thanks to the recent advancements in technology over the past few years. Virtual reality allows users to escape the real world and entire and entirely virtual world wherever they may be. Early adopters such as Oculus Quest, Sony Playstation VR, Gear VR, and HTC VIVE have made humongous strides in helping to develop this space. Meanwhile game developers and content creators have already started creating VR experiences and jumping on the wave to make some VR money.
Whether it’s through video games, movies, social networking, or anything else you can do digitally, VR can now be used as an experience to enhance your favorite pastimes. But what you may not know is that there are other ways you can capitalize on this growing technology to make money from home. These 5 ways to make money in the VR space right now will help you enter the exciting field of virtual reality and start cashing in on its growing market!
1) Be A Game Tester
Become a game tester for VR games—no coding experience required. If you’re interested in trying out new and exciting technology and are willing to play/test for pay, some companies will hire you as a beta tester. Some companies will even ship you out a free VR headset! From there, you can make some extra cash playing virtual reality games while testing to see if they’re fun or not. It’s almost like making money while playing video games! Plus, it could lead to a real career doing something that sounds really fun!
2) Make Assets For Games
If you have artistic talent or are otherwise able to create digital art, consider making assets for games. Many companies hire freelancers to make 3D models, graphics, and even music for their projects. This can be a great way to gain some relevant experience and work on building up your portfolio if you’re looking to go into video game design or animation. However, don’t expect to make a full-time living off of freelance work!
If you do decide to try out game asset creation as a side hustle, here are some tips for getting started:
- Put together an online portfolio website showcasing your best work (include screenshots/video clips).
- Build an online store where people can buy prints/products with your designs on them.
- Get active on social media (twitter, facebook, instagram).
3) Create Your Own Virtual Reality Apps
The best way to make money with virtual reality is to create your own apps. Creating games and experiences can seem extremely difficult, but if you have some previous experience as a software developer, it’s pretty simple to get started. All you need is some programming knowledge and access to VR tools like Unity.
Although it can seem daunting to learn more about developing VR apps, there are many available resources that can help take you from novice to published on an App Store in almost no time at all. I love websites such as Udemy, Coursera, and Khan Academy to help get me started. If it intrigues you to be able to create whatever you can imagine, I highly recommend at least giving it a shot and seeing if it catches your interest at all. You might be surprised how much you enjoy it!
4) Write About Virtual Reality Products
Getting into VR doesn’t require expensive equipment or anything but time and dedication – because even just writing about it will do! All you need is something to say, a few powerful words and the ability to connect. Wherever there are eyeballs hungry for information on what’s going in the immersive technology industry, there’s a place for you. Start out small by blogging about that one game you’re totally hooked on; before long, maybe make your way up to running your own website or publishing tech-related articles across different platforms. Because after all, everybody needs content – especially when they’re hungry for fresh perspective from someone who knows how to find it!
There are many ways to make some extra cash off of your virtual reality blogging hobby – whether it be by becoming an advocate for the latest VR headsets, earning commissions when you sell products from advertisers’ pages, or even making money off of YouTube videos that showcase these awesome headsets. One example is Freefly VR who pays out 15% commissions on all sales made through an advert featuring your blog’s link!
5) Create 360 Videos For YouTube
YouTube has had impressive growth over the years, but has it grown so much that there’s nothing left for future creators to explore? Today’s YouTube stars are making waves in Virtual Reality – catching potential viewers attention like never before with roller coaster simulations and music concerts right in front of them. The immersive 360 degree experience doesn’t stop at Android and iOS users either – anyone can take advantage because they’re available on Google Chrome too. With these new emerging opportunities, chances are if you’ve been waiting for the right moment to start your own channel – now might be the time!
YouTube can be a great field to explore for people looking for something new, or for experts who want to expand their horizons and stretch their creativity. And now with YouTube’s 360 degree video capabilities, you can make videos that not only capture what is in front of the camera but offer a complete 360-degree view of the environment surrounding it! People all over the world are hopping on board this VR craze – creating roller coaster simulations, virtual homes and cities tours, concerts – anything they can think up. You don’t need an expensive vr headset since YouTube has already introduced these features on Google Chrome and on its app so anyone can get involved no matter what kind of device they’re using.
YouTube’s 360° video capability opens up many possibilities for YouTubers. It can mean taking viewers on a virtual tour of your workplace, showing them what it would be like to go through a ride at an amusement park or even driving them down a road they might never otherwise take the time to explore.
It’s pretty clear VR is going to be a big deal and is here to stay. Along with that, there will be plenty of ways to make money in VR. So if you’re thinking about getting into Virtual Reality, now’s a good time to start planning your move and understanding some of these basics. Good luck!
