Intro to Meta Quest Runtime Optimizer | Horizon Start Mentor Workshop
In this video, Start Mentor Sidney provides a comprehensive introduction to the Meta Quest Runtime Optimizer, a diagnostic tool designed to help developers identify and address performance bottlenecks in VR, AR, and MR applications. The talk covers everything from initial setup and system requirements to advanced analysis modes like “What If” testing, offering practical advice on how to integrate these tools into regular development workflows. This session was recorded in March 2026 as part of the Meta Horizon Start program. 🎬 CHAPTERS 0:00 - Introduction 1:18 - Installation and System Requirements 2:00 - Core Features: Bottleneck Analysis 2:52 - Advanced Testing: What If Analysis 4:29 - Optimization Principles and Diagnostic Work 5:33 - Workflow Integration: Level Development 6:43 - Workflow Integration: Feature Development 7:49 - Workflow Integration: Main Project Integration 🎮 FEATURED IN THIS SESSION ➡️ Meta Quest Runtime Optimizer 📚 RESOURCES ➡️ Meta Horizon Developer Forum: https://communityforums.atmeta.com/category/horizon-developer-forum ➡️ Developers Blog: https://developers.meta.com/resources/blog/ ➡️ Meta Quest Developer Hub: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/documentation/unity/ts-mqdh/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH US Sign up to get the latest news from Meta Horizon: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/newsletter 💡 LEARN ABOUT THE META HORIZON START PROGRAM The Meta Horizon Start program provides intermediate and advanced developers with hands-on support and expert guidance to accelerate app development. Join a thriving community to access the tools and go-to-market resources you need to successfully deploy and grow your app on Meta Horizon OS. Apply to Start today: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/discover/programs/start
Overdraw Best Practices
Overdraw is a silent performance killer in VR development. In this workshop, Meta Horizon Start Mentor Sidney breaks down what overdraw is, why it drains GPU resources, and how to fix it in Unity. Learn why relying on Unity’s default settings (like a 1KM draw distance) or the SRP batcher isn’t enough to prevent overdraw. Sidney walks through practical, simple solutions including smart level design, utilizing occlusion culling (especially for indoor scenes), and leveraging the Unity Frame Debugger to catch pixel fill issues early in the greybox phase. The session also covers the specific challenges of overdraw in procedurally generated levels. This session was recorded in March 2026 as part of the Meta Horizon Start program. 🎬 CHAPTERS 00:00 - Welcome & Introduction to Overdraw 00:15 - Speaker Intro: Sidney (Angelsin) 01:14 - Defining Overdraw and the Rendering Pipeline 02:08 - The Performance Impact of Overdraw 02:50 - Unity's Role and Limitations in Handling Overdraw 03:19 - Risks of Mesh Combining and Dynamic Objects 04:03 - Demonstrating Overdraw with Scene and Debug Tools 06:15 - Reducing Overdraw: Adjusting Draw Distance 07:55 - Reducing Overdraw: Occlusion Culling 08:21 - Overdraw Challenges in Procedural Generation 09:10 - Using the Frame Debugger for Optimization 10:10 - Conclusion and Summary of Best Practices 🎮 FEATURED IN THIS SESSION ➡️ Unity Frame Debugger: https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/FrameDebugger.html ➡️ Unity Occlusion Culling: https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/OcclusionCulling.html 📚 RESOURCES ➡️ Meta Horizon Developer Forum: https://communityforums.atmeta.com/category/horizon-developer-forum ➡️ Developers Blog: https://developers.meta.com/resources/blog/ ➡️ Meta Quest Developer Hub: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/documentation/unity/ts-mqdh/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH US Sign up to get the latest news from Meta Horizon: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/newsletter 💡 LEARN ABOUT THE META HORIZON START PROGRAM The Meta Horizon Start program provides intermediate and advanced developers with hands-on support and expert guidance to accelerate app development. Join a thriving community to access the tools and go-to-market resources you need to successfully deploy and grow your app on Meta Horizon OS. Apply to Start today: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/discover/programs/start
[Performance Clinics] Most Common Bottlenecks
Hi all, angelsin here! Over the past couple months I have been running the Performance and Optimization clinic where I have had a chance to look at projects from the community and I wanted to share a breakdown of common performance bottlenecks I have seen, particularly in Unity, though many of these apply across engines. CPU-Bound Bottlenecks When your application is CPU-limited, the frame time is constrained by tasks that must complete on the main thread before rendering can proceed. Some frequent culprits: 1. Excessive Use of Update() A high volume of Update() calls can lead to significant per-frame overhead. Even empty or lightweight updates add up. Centralizing logic or adopting an event-driven architecture can reduce overhead. 2. Verbose Logging (Debug.Log, print) in Runtime Builds Logging per frame, especially within tight loops or frequent callbacks, adds unnecessary CPU and I/O overhead. Always disable or strip debug output in production builds. 3. Synchronous Operations on the Main Thread Blocking operations such as asset loading, file I/O, or network requests should never run on the main thread. Use asynchronous APIs or offload to worker threads when possible. 4. High Garbage Collection Pressure Frequent allocations (e.g., via new, string concatenations, LINQ) can cause GC spikes that result in frame drops. Profiling tools like Unity’s Memory Profiler can help identify hot allocation paths. Object pooling and reuse patterns are critical in VR. GPU-Bound Bottlenecks GPU limitations often arise from rendering complexity or shader overhead. These can manifest as reduced frame rates, late frames, or motion stutter—particularly problematic in VR where latency is noticeable. 1. Overly Complex Shaders Fragment-heavy shaders, excessive dynamic branching, high instruction count, or unoptimized lighting models can degrade performance rapidly. Use shader variants and fallback techniques, and test on target GPU hardware. Remember that the Quest is just specialized mobile hardware 2. High Polygon Count / Geometry Throughput High vertex counts or excessive draw distances increase vertex shader load. Implement LODs, frustum and occlusion culling where applicable. 3. Excessive Draw Calls State changes (materials, shaders, meshes) are expensive. Use static and dynamic batching, GPU instancing, and texture atlases to reduce draw call count. Tools like Unity’s Frame Debugger or GPU profilers can help diagnose this. 4. Screen-Space Post-Processing Effects Effects like TAA, SSAO, bloom, and depth-of-field can be expensive, especially at VR resolutions. Evaluate the performance cost vs. visual gain, and ensure effects are configured for stereo rendering (some aren’t by default). 5. Overdraw and Transparency Transparent geometry (particles, UI, decals) contributes to overdraw and increased fragment workload. Reduce transparency layers, sort particles efficiently, and consider depth pre-pass strategies. 6. Expensive Particle Systems Particle effects with large numbers of particles, expensive materials, or high update rates can saturate both CPU (emission, update) and GPU (overdraw, shading). Bake or optimize where possible, and avoid full-screen effects relying on particles. Best Practices Profile early and often using tools like Unity Profiler, RenderDoc, Meta Runtime Optimizer, and the MQDH. Always remember to check the timeline view as well as to deep profile if you cannot find the problems Always test on target hardware under worst-case scene conditions. Use GPU and CPU frame timing breakdowns to correctly identify the bottleneck domain before optimizing. Would love to hear what others have run into in real-world VR projects. Are there any less obvious bottlenecks you've encountered, or tools you’ve found indispensable during optimization? Looking forward to hearing your insights, and be sure to keep an eye on the Events on the Discord where we will continue to have Performance and Optimization clinic hours if you want to drop by for help. -SidneyRuntime Optimizer Part 3 - AI-Assisted Performance Optimization on Meta Quest | Performance Series
Who says performance optimization has to live behind expert-only tooling? In this Start Performance Series session, Meta software engineers Jay Hsia and Nico Lopez show you how the Meta Quest Runtime Optimizer pairs with Perfetto and large language models (LLMs) to turn dense performance data into clear, actionable insights. You’ll also see how Unity developers can use the Runtime Optimizer for GPU analysis, then use Perfetto traces with an LLM to surface bottlenecks and generate specific fixes you can test right away. 💡 By viewing this session, you’ll learn: How to use Runtime Optimizer to profile GPU performance in Unity, including deep captures and “what-if” analysis How to capture rich Perfetto traces and use them for system-level performance profiling How to use an LLM to turn trace data into plain-English bottlenecks and concrete fix ideas How to validate improvements with a repeatable before-and-after trace comparison loop Recorded on December 4, 2025 as part of the Meta Horizon Start program. 🎬 CHAPTERS 👋 INTRODUCTION 🕒 00:00 - What the Runtime Optimizer does and why it matters ⚙️ RUNTIME OPTIMIZER UPDATES 🕒 03:21 - What’s new in Runtime Optimizer 0.2.2 🕒 03:35 - Hierarchy view for GPU cost analysis 🕒 04:14 - Batch profiling game objects 🤖 AI MEETS PERFORMANCE PROFILING 🕒 04:39 - Why Perfetto changes the optimization workflow 🕒 05:32 - Where AI fits into performance analysis 🕒 06:02 - What an MCP adds to LLM reliability 🧪 LIVE DEMO: PERFETTO AND LLM ANALYSIS 🕒 08:42 - Capturing a Perfetto trace 🕒 09:56 - Reading frame breakdowns with an LLM 🕒 10:38 - Detecting anomalies and GPU bottlenecks 🛠 FROM INSIGHT TO FIX 🕒 11:15 - Turning analysis into actionable changes 🕒 12:35 - Applying suggested code changes 🕒 13:02 - Tuning Unity settings with performance context 🔁 THE NORTH STAR OPTIMIZATION LOOP 🕒 16:05 - Runtime Optimizer, Perfetto, and Immersive Debugger together 🕒 17:27 - Running before and after trace comparisons 🕒 18:50 - Measuring real improvements ✅ BEST PRACTICES AND TAKEAWAYS 🕒 19:28 - How to get reliable results from AI-assisted profiling 🕒 20:06 - Why profiling markers matter 🕒 21:00 - Managing tokens and context for better AI results 🕒 22:15 - Applying AI across your profiling toolchain 🧰 TOOLS REFERENCED Perfetto: https://perfetto.dev/ Unity Profiler: https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/Profiler.html Cursor: https://cursor.com/ RenderDoc: https://renderdoc.org/ 📚 RESOURCES ➡️ Fix Performance Bottlenecks with Meta Quest Runtime Optimizer: https://communityforums.atmeta.com/discussions/Community_Resources/fix-performance-bottlenecks-with-the-meta-quest-runtime-optimizer--performance-s/1356116 ➡️ Developers Blog: https://developers.meta.com/resources/blog/ ➡️ Meta Quest Developer Hub: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/documentation/unity/ts-mqdh/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH US ➡️ Sign up to get the latest news from Meta Horizon: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/newsletter 💡 LEARN ABOUT THE META HORIZON START PROGRAM The Meta Horizon Start program provides intermediate and advanced developers with the resources, hands-on support, and expert guidance needed to accelerate their app development. Join a thriving community to get the tools and go-to-market guidance you need to successfully deploy and grow your app on Meta Horizon OS. Apply to Start today: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/discover/programs/start
What's Trending in VR Development? | Tech, Content & Community
What does it take to succeed as a VR developer today? Join renowned YouTube creators and expert developers Dilmer Valecillos, Quentin Valembois, and Roberto Coviello in a roundtable discussion hosted by Darby Blaney. They explore the latest tech trends, such as the Passthrough Camera Access API and essential optimization tools, and share proven strategies for accelerating your workflow, creating content, and building an engaged community. 💡 In this session, you’ll learn: Insights into the latest VR technologies, including the creative potential of the Passthrough Camera Access API and underutilized tools like the Immersive Debugger. Best practices for optimizing performance and accelerating your development workflow using tools like Building Blocks and open-source projects. Proven strategies for building a personal brand, creating effective content, and fostering an engaged community around your work. Recorded in October 2025 as part of the Meta Horizon Start program. 🎙️ FEATURING: Darby Blaney, Metaverse Program Manager, Start Lead Roberto Coviello, Software Engineer Quentin Valembois, Start Mentor Dilmer Valecillos, Developer Advocate 🎬 CHAPTERS 👋 INTRODUCTION 🕒 00:00 - Welcome & Host Introduction 🚀 PART 1: THE DEVELOPER JOURNEY 🕒 02:13 - Panelist Origin Stories: How They Got Started in VR ⚙️ PART 2: TECH TRENDS & TOOLS 🕒 08:22 - Tech Trend: The Passthrough Camera API & AI 🕒 13:12 - Underutilized Tools: Immersive Debugger & Runtime Optimizer 🕒 17:12 - Best Practices for Performance Optimization 🕒 19:41 - Accelerating Development with Building Blocks & Open-Source Samples 📈 PART 3: CONTENT & COMMUNITY GROWTH 🕒 23:20 - Strategies for Content Creation & Building a Personal Brand 🕒 28:18 - The Role of Community Feedback in Development 🕒 32:47 - Inside the Meta Start Mentor Program ✅ CONCLUSION 🕒 35:06 - Final Thoughts & Thank You 📚 RESOURCES ➡️ Dilmer’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@dilmerv ➡️ Valem’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ValemTutorials ➡️ Roberto’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@xrdevrob ➡️ Spatial Scanner project available on GitHub: https://github.com/meta-quest/Meta-Spatial-SDK-Samples ➡️ Developers Blog: https://developers.meta.com/resources/blog/ ➡️ Meta Quest Developer Hub: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/documentation/unity/ts-mqdh/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH US ➡️ Sign up to get the latest news from Meta Horizon: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/newsletter 💡 LEARN ABOUT THE META HORIZON START PROGRAM The Meta Horizon Start program provides intermediate and advanced developers with the resources, hands-on support, and expert guidance needed to accelerate their app development. Join a thriving community to get the tools and go-to-market guidance you need to successfully deploy and grow your app on Meta Horizon OS. Apply to Start today: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/discover/programs/start
Runtime Optimizer Part 2 - GPU Textures and Mixed Reality | Performance Series
In Part 2 of our technical deep dive, Meta software engineers Jay Hsia and Nico Lopez move from high-level profiling into real GPU problem solving for mixed reality on Meta Quest. You’ll see how they use the Runtime Optimizer to study Passthrough projects and large texture collections, then turn that data into shader changes and day-to-day profiling routines that keep performance predictable. 💡After viewing this session, you’ll understand how to: Configure Runtime Optimizer experiments for Passthrough and mixed reality projects. Choose between Texture 2D Array and atlases for large texture sets. Stream high resolution textures in smaller chunks. Move UV work into the vertex shader and add profiler markers. 🎬 CHAPTERS 👋 INTRODUCTION 🕒 00:00 - Welcome & Agenda Overview 🛠️ DEBUGGING & MIXED REALITY 🕒 03:19 - Profiling Passthrough & Mixed Reality 🕒 06:24 - Texture Arrays vs. Texture Atlases 🎨 Shader & Code Optimization 🕒 12:52 - Fixing Texture Fetch Stalls (Vertex Shaders) 🕒 16:52 - Best Practices for Profiler Markers ✅ FINAL THOUGHTS 🕒 20:20 - Recap & Next Steps 📖 OPTIMIZATION EXAMPLES REFERENCED IN THIS VIDEO 🔖 Meta Quest Runtime Optimizer Docs: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/documentation/unity/unity-quest-runtime-optimizer/ 🔖 Unity Profiler Documentation: https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/Profiler.html 📚 RESOURCES ➡️ Developers Blog: https://developers.meta.com/resources/blog/ ➡️ Meta Quest Developer Hub: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/documentation/unity/ts-mqdh/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH US ➡️ Sign up to get the latest news from Meta Horizon: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/newsletter 💡 LEARN ABOUT THE META HORIZON START PROGRAM The Meta Horizon Start program provides intermediate and advanced developers with the resources, hands-on support, and expert guidance needed to accelerate their app development. Join a thriving community to get the tools and go-to-market guidance you need to successfully deploy and grow your app on Meta Horizon OS. Apply to Start today: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/discover/programs/start
Fix Performance Bottlenecks with the Meta Quest Runtime Optimizer | Performance Series
In this technical deep dive, Meta Software Engineers Jay Hsia and Nico Lopez walk you through the complete workflow for identifying and resolving latency issues in real-time using the Meta Quest Runtime Optimizer. If you’re looking to optimize your build, this session is an essential resource for fixing performance bottlenecks prior to launch. 💡After viewing this session, you’ll understand how to: Enable and configure Runtime Optimizer overlay in Unity Interpret real-time metrics to distinguish between CPU and GPU bottlenecks Apply actionable insights to reduce draw calls and texture overhead 🎬 CHAPTERS 👋 INTRODUCTION 🕒 00:00 - Introduction to the Performance Series & Runtime Optimizer 🕒 01:52 - The Optimization Profiling Funnel 🛠️ RUNTIME OPTIMIZER SETUP 🕒 05:31 - Core Concepts of the Runtime Optimizer 📉 ANALYZING METRICS 🕒 09:32 - Bottleneck Analysis: Finding What's Expensive 🕒 15:27 - What-If Analysis: Quantifying Performance Costs 🛠️ LIVE DEMO & WORKFLOW 🕒 20:51 - Live Demo: Putting the Tool into Practice 🕒 26:12 - Final Recap and Recommended Workflow 📖 OPTIMIZATION EXAMPLES REFERENCED IN THIS VIDEO 🔖 Meta Quest Runtime Optimizer Docs: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/documentation/unity/unity-quest-runtime-optimizer/ 🔖 Unity Profiler Documentation: https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/Profiler.html 📚 RESOURCES ➡️ Developers Blog: https://developers.meta.com/resources/blog/ ➡️ Meta Quest Developer Hub: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/documentation/unity/ts-mqdh/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH US ➡️ Sign up to get the latest news from Meta Horizon: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/newsletter 💡 LEARN ABOUT THE META HORIZON START PROGRAM The Meta Horizon Start program provides intermediate and advanced developers with the resources, hands-on support, and expert guidance needed to accelerate their app development. Join a thriving community to get the tools and go-to-market guidance you need to successfully deploy and grow your app on Meta Horizon OS. Apply to Start today: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/discover/programs/start
The Complete List of Sample Unity VR Projects
Hey guys, I wanted to put together a list of my favorite sample projects that you can grab and learn from. In my opinion, these projects are pure goldmines, they don’t just showcase design principles around specific features but also provide direct examples of how to use them, which is especially important right now for something like a hackathon. For an even larger collection of Meta samples, see the GitHub list of all Meta sample repos here: https://github.com/orgs/oculus-samples/repositories?type=all Let’s start with our first category, the interaction samples. Interaction Samples Meta XR All-In-One (Interaction SDK) Sample Links: https://github.com/oculus-samples/Unity-InteractionSDK-Samples https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/tools/integration/meta-xr-all-in-one-sdk-269657 Description: A comprehensive demo from Meta’s XR Interaction SDK featuring core VR interactions like poking, grabbing, raycasting, UI, and locomotion, all working together. Perfect to understand how to integrate both hands and controllers in one system. First Hand Link: https://github.com/oculus-samples/Unity-FirstHand Description: A full VR game demo focused on hand-tracked interactions. It showcases a complete Unity experience using the Interaction SDK with hand tracking as the main input and controller fallback. XR Interaction Toolkit Examples Link: https://github.com/Unity-Technologies/XR-Interaction-Toolkit-Examples Description: Unity’s official XR Interaction Toolkit samples showing how to implement locomotion, selection, grabbing, and UI interactions. A solid starting point for setting up XR Origin and interactor/interactable components. Move Fast Link: https://github.com/oculus-samples/Unity-MoveFast Description: A fast-paced VR fitness demo using hand tracking and the Interaction SDK. The sample shows how to build an energetic workout game with responsive, punch-based interactions. Whisperer Link: https://github.com/oculus-samples/voicesdk-samples-whisperer Description: A voice-controlled VR experience demonstrating the Meta Voice SDK. Use voice commands as part of gameplay to learn how to integrate real-time voice recognition into your own projects. Tilt Brush (Open Brush) Link: https://github.com/icosa-foundation/open-brush Description: An open-source continuation of Google’s Tilt Brush. Lets users paint and sculpt in 3D space — an excellent reference for creative VR tools and spatial drawing. Multiplayer & Social Samples VR Multiplayer Sample (Unity XRI) Link: https://docs.unity3d.com/Packages/com.unity.template.vr-multiplayer@2.0/manual/index.html Description: Unity’s official multiplayer VR template featuring a prebuilt scene, avatars, and networking setup using Netcode for GameObjects. Great for learning multi-user interactions in VR. Mixed Reality Multiplayer (XR Multiplayer) Sample Link: https://docs.unity3d.com/Packages/com.unity.template.mr-multiplayer@1.0/manual/index.html Description: A tabletop MR multiplayer demo that includes avatars, voice chat, and shared AR/VR spaces. Features games like balloon slingshot and chess while teaching MR networking and colocation concepts. Tiny Golf Link: https://github.com/Meta-Horizon-Start-Program/Tiny-Golf Description: A free-to-play multiplayer mini-golf VR game created for the Meta Start program. Demonstrates basic physics, scoring, and networked multiplayer. Ultimate Glove Ball Link: https://github.com/oculus-samples/Unity-UltimateGloveBall Description: A VR e-sport showcase demonstrating multiplayer, avatars, voice, and in-app purchases. Integrates Photon networking and Oculus social APIs, making it a great reference for social competitive games. Spirit Sling Link: https://github.com/oculus-samples/Unity-SpiritSling Description: A social MR tabletop game letting players place a shared game board in real space and invite friends to join. Highlights Avatars SDK and MR colocated play. Decommissioned Link: https://github.com/oculus-samples/Unity-Decommissioned Description: A social-deduction VR game inspired by titles like Among Us. Shows how to handle multiplayer lobbies, Oculus invites, and social APIs in a networked Unity project. Mixed Reality (MR) Samples A World Beyond (Presence Platform Demo) Link: https://github.com/oculus-samples/Unity-TheWorldBeyond Description: A full MR showcase combining Scene Understanding, Passthrough, hand tracking, voice input, and spatial audio. A must-see for developers building immersive MR scenes blending real and virtual spaces. Phanto (MR Reference App) Links: https://github.com/oculus-samples/Unity-Phanto https://developers.meta.com/horizon/blog/phanto-unreal-showcase/ Description: An MR reference app focused on environmental awareness. Uses the Scene Mesh and MR APIs to blend gameplay with real-world geometry. Unity Discover (featuring Drone Rage and others) Links: https://www.meta.com/en-gb/experiences/discover/7041851792509764/ https://github.com/oculus-samples/Unity-Discover Description: A collection of MR showcase mini-experiences like Drone Rage. Demonstrates MR features including Passthrough, Spatial Anchors, and Shared Anchors in various game prototypes. MR Motifs Link: https://github.com/oculus-samples/Unity-MRMotifs Description: A library of MR “motifs”, small, reusable templates showcasing mechanics such as passthrough transitions, colocated multiplayer, and instant content placement. Cryptic Cabinet Link: https://github.com/oculus-samples/Unity-CrypticCabinet Description: A short MR escape-room experience that adapts to your room’s layout. Demonstrates interactive storytelling in mixed reality using environmental awareness. Passthrough Camera API Samples Link: https://github.com/oculus-samples/Unity-PassthroughCameraApiSamples Description: A sample project demonstrating how to access and process Quest’s Passthrough camera feed for effects, object detection, and image manipulation. Tool and Utilities Asset Streaming Link: https://github.com/oculus-samples/Unity-AssetStreaming Description: An open-world streaming sample that shows how to dynamically load content using Addressables and LOD systems — ideal for maintaining performance in large VR environments. Shader Prewarmer Link: https://github.com/oculus-samples/Unity-ShaderPrewarmer Description: A utility sample that preloads shader variants at startup to eliminate hitching or stutters when shaders first compile — an important optimization for smooth VR performance. Complete Game Showcase Northstar Link: https://github.com/oculus-samples/Unity-NorthStar Description: A complete VR game showcasing advanced interaction and visual technique for VR. Featuring rope physics, narrative story telling, lip sync and more.VR Optimization in Unity - A Complete List of Tools and Resources
Hey guys, I wanted to put together a list of tools and resources for optimizing a VR game in Unity. As the process can be tricky (profiling, debugging, etc.) and there are a lot of different tools, I hope this helps show the different use cases and workflows. This list is a work in progress, so if you want to add your favorites or ask questions, please do it here. :) OVERVIEW OF OPTIMIZATION TOOLS In-Editor Stats Window Documentation: https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/RenderingStatistics.html Shows real time rendering statistics (triangles, draw calls, batches) in the Game View to quickly spot bottlenecks. Profiler Documentation: https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/Profiler.html Records CPU, GPU, memory, and other subsystem usage to identify hotspot frames or assets. Project Validation and Project Setup Tool Documentation: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/documentation/unity/unity-upst-overview/ Test a registry of rules called Configuration Tasks (xr setup and optimization) and provide default rules to make your project Meta Quest ready. Quest Runtime Optimizer https://developers.meta.com/horizon/documentation/unity/unity-quest-runtime-optimizer/ Provides real time analysis and actionable insights to optimize performance on device. Unity Project Auditor https://docs.unity3d.com/Packages/com.unity.project-auditor@1.0/manual/index.html Audits your Unity project for performance and best practice compliance. Frame Debugger Documentation: https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/FrameDebugger.html Step through draw calls and frame rendering to find overdraw or inefficient passes. Auto VR Optimizer https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/tools/utilities/auto-vr-optimizer-318687 Automated utility to apply common VR optimization settings to your Unity project. Memory Profiler and Profile Analyzer Documentation: https://unity.com/how-to/use-memory-profiling-unity Capture memory snapshots, compare them, and analyze fragmentation or leaks. Outside Editor OVR Metrics Tool https://developers.meta.com/horizon/downloads/package/ovr-metrics-tool/ Capture performance metrics on device, including CPU, GPU, and memory. Meta Quest Developer Hub https://developers.meta.com/horizon/downloads/package/oculus-developer-hub-win/ Deploy to device, profile, view logs, and measure thermal and throttling behavior. RenderDoc Documentation: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/documentation/unity/ts-renderdoc-for-oculus/ Graphics frame capture and inspection of draw calls, states, and textures. Perfetto Guide: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/documentation/unity/ts-perfettoguide Open source system tracing for CPU, GPU, and OS events. Immersive Debugger https://developers.meta.com/horizon/documentation/unity/immersivedebugger-overview/ Resources Profiling and debugging tools in Unity https://unity.com/how-to/profiling-and-debugging-tools Ultimate Guide to Profiling Unity Games (e book) https://unity.com/resources/ultimate-guide-to-profiling-unity-games-unity-6 Meta XR Performance Best Practices https://developers.meta.com/horizon/documentation/unity/unity-best-practices-intro Optimization for web, XR, and mobile games in Unity 6 (YouTube) https://youtu.be/2J0kDtUGlrY?si=DfiogFWQronhdowQ Unity Optimization E book (Unity 6 edition) https://unity.com/resources/mobile-xr-web-game-performance-optimization-unity-6 Valem Tutorials How to Optimize VR Game Part 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeB9Cx_msKA How to Optimize VR Game Part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jgf3F--VoPg How to Optimize VR Game Part 3 https://youtu.be/qm4-6zHkanM Hope this helps. :) What do you think? Do you have other tools or resources that should be on this list?What's Trending in VR Development? | Tech, Content & Community
What does it take to succeed as a VR developer today? Join renowned YouTube creators and expert developers Dilmer Valecillos, Quentin Valembois, and Roberto Coviello in a roundtable discussion hosted by Darby Blaney. They explore the latest tech trends, such as the Passthrough Camera Access API and essential optimization tools, and share proven strategies for accelerating your workflow, creating content, and building an engaged community. 💡 In this session, you’ll learn: Insights into the latest VR technologies, including the creative potential of the Passthrough Camera Access API and underutilized tools like the Immersive Debugger. Best practices for optimizing performance and accelerating your development workflow using tools like Building Blocks and open-source projects. Proven strategies for building a personal brand, creating effective content, and fostering an engaged community around your work. 🎙️ HOST Darby Blaney, Metaverse Program Manager, Start Lead 🎙️ SPEAKERS Roberto Coviello, Software Engineer Quentin Valembois, Start Mentor Dilmer Valecillos, Developer Advocate ▶️ VIDEO CHAPTERS 👋 Introduction 🕒 00:00 - Welcome & Host Introduction 🕒 00:37 - Meet the Panelists 🚀 Part 1: The Developer Journey 🕒 02:13 - Panelist Origin Stories: How They Got Started in VR ⚙️ Part 2: Tech Trends & Tools 🕒 08:22 - Tech Trend: The Passthrough Camera API & AI 🕒 13:12 - Underutilized Tools: Immersive Debugger & Runtime Optimizer 🕒 17:12 - Best Practices for Performance Optimization 🕒 19:41 - Accelerating Development with Building Blocks & Open-Source Samples 📈 Part 3: Content & Community Growth 🕒 23:20 - Strategies for Content Creation & Building a Personal Brand 🕒 28:18 - The Role of Community Feedback in Development 🕒 32:47 - Inside the Meta Start Mentor Program ✅ Conclusion 🕒 35:06 - Final Thoughts & Thank You 📚 RESOURCES ➡️ Dilmer’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@dilmerv ➡️ Valem’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ValemTutorials ➡️ Roberto’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@xrdevrob ➡️ Spatial Scanner project available on GitHub: https://github.com/meta-quest/Meta-Spatial-SDK-Samples ➡️ Developers Blog: https://developers.meta.com/resources/blog/ ➡️ Meta Quest Developer Hub: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/documentation/unity/ts-mqdh/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH US ➡️ Sign up to get the latest news from Meta Horizon: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/newsletter 💡 LEARN ABOUT THE META HORIZON START PROGRAM The Meta Horizon Start program provides intermediate and advanced developers with the resources, hands-on support, and expert guidance needed to accelerate their app development. Join a thriving community to get the tools and go-to-market guidance you need to successfully deploy and grow your app on Meta Horizon OS. Apply to Start today: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/discover/programs/start
