How to Build an OpenXR Enabled Unreal Engine VR Server on AWS

Introduction Virtual Reality (VR) is becoming increasingly popular in various industries, from gaming to education and training. With the rise of VR technology, the demand for powerful and efficient VR servers is also increasing. In this blog post, we will show you how to build an OpenXR-enabled Unreal Engine VR server on AWS.

What is OpenXR?

OpenXR is an open standard that aims to make it easy for developers to create VR and AR applications that work across different platforms and devices. It provides a common API for access to VR and AR devices, allowing developers to create applications that are portable across different platforms.

What is Unreal Engine?

Unreal Engine is a popular game engine developed and maintained by Epic Games. It is a powerful tool for creating high-quality 3D and 2D games, as well as VR and AR experiences. Unreal Engine also includes a wide range of built-in features, such as physics, animation, and networking, making it a great choice for building VR servers.

Solution Overview

In this guide, we will walk you through the process of building an OpenXR-enabled VR server using Unreal Engine 5 and AWS. We will start by setting up an AWS server and configuring the necessary components. Next, we will create an Unreal Engine 5 project and integrate OpenXR into it. We will then add a widget menu and a VR pawn, and package and upload the server to AWS. Finally, we will package and load the Meta Quest 2 client build and perform some cleanup.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, you will need to have an AWS account and be familiar with the AWS management console. You will also need to have Unreal Engine 5 installed on your local machine and be familiar with the Unreal Engine editor.

Part 1: AWS Setup

1. Log in to the AWS management console and select EC2 from the list of services.
2. Select the “Launch Instance” button to start creating a new instance.
3. Choose the “Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS” image and select the appropriate instance type.
4. Configure the necessary security settings and storage options.
5. Launch the instance and connect to it using SSH.

Part 2: Unreal Engine 5 Project Setup with OpenXR

1. Open Unreal Engine and create a new project.
2. Go to the settings menu and enable the OpenXR plugin.
3. Create a new level and add the necessary components, such as a camera and a player controller.
4. Configure the project settings to use OpenXR and set the appropriate resolution and refresh rate.

Part 3: Widget Menu

1. Create a new widget blueprint and add the necessary buttons and functionality.
2. Add the widget to the player controller and configure it to display in VR.

Part 4: VR Pawn

1. Create a new pawn blueprint and add the necessary components, such as a camera and a motion controller.
2. Configure the pawn to use OpenXR and set the appropriate movement and interaction settings.

Part 5: Package and Upload the Server

1. Package the project as a server build and upload it to the AWS instance.
2. Configure the server settings and start the server.

Part 6: Package and Load the Meta Quest 2 Client Build

1. Package the project as a client build and upload it to the AWS instance.
2. Load the client build on a VR device and connect to the server.

Cleanup

1. Stop and terminate the AWS instance when it is no longer needed to avoid unnecessary charges.
2. Remove any unnecessary files and backups from the project.

Here are a few additional details to help you better understand the process of building an OpenXR-enabled Unreal Engine VR server on AWS:

• In Part 1: AWS Setup, when configuring the security settings for the instance, you will need to create a new security group and open the necessary ports for Unreal Engine’s network communication. Additionally, you will need to configure the instance to have access to the internet so that it can download the necessary dependencies.
• In Part 2: Unreal Engine 5 Project Setup with OpenXR, you will need to add the OpenXR Input Emulation plugin to your project to enable support for motion controllers. You will also need to set up the project’s default pawn and player controller to use the VR pawn and player controller that you created in Part 4.
• In Part 3: Widget Menu, you will need to create a new widget blueprint and add the necessary buttons and functionality. You will also need to add a new player controller component to the project’s default pawn to display the widget in VR.
• In Part 4: VR Pawn, you will need to create a new pawn blueprint and add the necessary components, such as a camera and a motion controller. You will also need to add a new player controller component to the pawn to handle input and movement.
• In Part 5: Package and Upload the Server, you will need to use the Unreal Engine editor’s “Cook and package” feature to package the project as a server build. You will then need to use a tool such as FileZilla to upload the build to the AWS instance and start the server.
• In Part 6: Package and Load the Meta Quest 2 Client Build, you will need to use the Unreal Engine editor’s “Cook and package” feature to package the project as a client build. You will then need to use a tool such as FileZilla to upload the build to the AWS instance and load it on a VR device.
• In the Cleanup section, you will need to stop and terminate the AWS instance when it is no longer needed to avoid unnecessary charges. Additionally, you will need to remove any unnecessary files and backups from the project to keep it organized.

Overall, building an OpenXR-enabled Unreal Engine VR server on AWS requires a good understanding of both Unreal Engine and AWS, as well as the OpenXR standard. Additionally, it requires configuring and setting up various components, such as the server, the project, the widget menu and the VR Pawn.