Build 3D Conversational AI Characters for Virtual Reality Projects in Unity with Convai

Tutorials
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Hello everyone,

Are you ready to bring conversational AI into fully immersive environments? We are excited to share our latest tutorial on how to build Virtual Reality (VR) projects in Unity with Convai and deploy them directly to the Meta Quest.

This step-by-step guide is designed specifically for Unity developers looking to integrate interactive AI avatars and NPCs into their VR experiences, training simulations, and virtual worlds.

:sparkles: What We Cover in This Tutorial

We walk you through the entire pipeline to get your Convai-powered scene ready for VR interaction:

  • Convai SDK Setup: Importing the com.convai.convai-sdk-for-unity package and loading the lip-sync sample scene.

  • XR & OpenXR Configuration: Installing the XR Interaction Toolkit, enabling OpenXR, and configuring Meta Quest Touch Controller profiles.

  • VR Camera Setup: Replacing the default camera setup with an XR Origin to ensure your character is perfectly visible and scaled in VR.

  • World-Space Chat UI: Converting the standard Convai chat UI into a World Space canvas, scaling it, and adding the Tracked Device Graphic Raycaster for seamless VR interaction.

  • Android Build Settings & Testing: Setting up the Android build target, updating the manifest, building the APK, and testing it directly on your Meta Quest device.

:hammer_and_wrench: Developer Tip (Android Manifest): When configuring your Android manifest for the Meta Quest, make sure to add this specific permission line within your tags to ensure proper keyboard overlay functionality: uses-feature android:name="oculus.software.overlay_keyboard" android:required="false"

:link: Resources & Getting Started

If you haven’t set up the core Convai plugin yet, we highly recommend checking out our Detailed Unity SDK Setup Tutorial first.

:eyes: ICYMI (In Case You Missed It): Are you also building for Mixed Reality? Check out our other recent tutorial on How to Build Mixed Reality AI Characters in Unity with Convai on Meta Quest.

Let us know if you have any questions or run into any issues during your VR setup. We can’t wait to see the immersive worlds you build!

Happy developing!