Top 6 Most Popular AR & VR Programming Languages for Custom Projects

Published in

AR/VR Journey: Augmented & Virtual Reality Magazine

5 min readNov 5, 2019

The number of businesses incorporating augmented and virtual reality into their service offering is more every year. This is causing an increased demand for AR/VR professionals who are able to create the products companies are looking for. Regardless of the industry you are in, both AR and VR will help you build a better relationship with your customers and help you stand out from the competition. With this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the most popular programming languages for VR and AR.

1. C#

C# would be a useful VR programming language for both veteran and new developers who are just getting started. It is good to know because it is widely used for developing games with Unity, the most popular game engine out there. It will work on both Mac and PC, and a ton of VR apps are created with C#. All in all, it just makes sense to know the most popular programming language that is used with the most popular gaming engine. Should you require some additional development help, it has a wide network of designers as well. Also, since Unity implements a lot of the components of C#, it makes it a popular choice for coding custom AR apps as well.

2. C/C++

If you are looking to build something more advanced, for example, a product with Unreal Engine C++ would top the list of best virtual reality programming languages. For this reason, it is best to make the determination of the scope of your project first because this will dictate which platform you will need. If it is relatively small, you can use C#, but for large scale works, you will need C++. The same is true if you are creating an AR app. C++ is the right choice for creating sizeable AR apps because it allows a large part of the app to be implemented and developed via its syntax.

3. Java

Due to its robust nature, Java has become a popular AR programming language. It is an object-oriented language, and its features make it a good choice for creating components of the AR app. If you are creating a high-end product, Java is definitely the one to go with. It also comes packed with a 3D API, which will allow you to build and implement all kinds of components with relative ease. This API makes Java very useful for programming virtual reality because it enables you to generate the needed 3D images and track body movements.

4. JavaScript

JavaScript is known for its versatility. In fact, it ranks as a top augmented reality programming language because it has been worked on over the course of its history to be very comprehensive, thus providing developers with a very useful development environment good for building AR apps. If you are looking for even more reasons to work with JavaScript, consider its vast number of libraries and frameworks. It is beneficial for developing headgear and is being used by top companies such as HTC Vibe and Oculus Rift to create cutting edge products.

5. Python

While Python may not be the first to come to mind when talking about coding in virtual reality, it offers a lot of benefits, especially for developers who do not have a lot of experience. One of the main reasons for this is because it is straightforward and easy to understand, and it is possible to create something without writing too much code. If you are looking for even more motivation, it will be easy to transition to something more advanced such as C#, when you have a solid foundation of Python.

6. Swift

Swift is the official language for Apple devices. While it may not enjoy the mega popularity of some of the other devices on the list, it will be easy to get started creating AR apps if you already have some experience. Not only does Apple have an official programming language, but they have their very own SDK as well called the ARKit. Therefore, if you know Swift, it will be easy for you to start creating AR apps for iOS devices.

While we looked at what programming language is used for virtual reality, as well as augmented reality, a lot will depend on the team of developers that you already have. There are a lot of decisions that have to be made during the development process, and if your team has not created AR apps with a particular language before, this could be problematic. For this reason, if you do not have the necessary skillset in-house, it is a good idea to hire someone from the outside who knows how to program augmented reality and can augment the talent you already have.

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