XR consultancy: independent advice on VR and AR projects

Know what it will cost, whether it will work and whether it's on track, before the money is spent. We give practical, independent advice on virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and 360° projects. It comes from people who build XR every day, so it's grounded in what actually happens on real projects, not in vendor brochures.

VRCraftworks is an immersive studio based in Brighton, building VR and AR since 2014 for agencies, public bodies, charities and global brands. We've delivered 100+ projects for 30+ global clients. The VR training we built with Churchill's team won the IWFM Impact Award for Technology Innovation in 2023.

Why take advice from people who build it?

XR projects rarely go wrong because of the idea. They go wrong on the details: an engine that doesn't suit the content, a model too heavy for the headset, a budget that forgot deployment, or a plan with no time for user testing. We've made those calls on real projects for 12 years, so we know where the costs and risks hide.

• Independent. We'll recommend the right engine, device or supplier for the job, even when that isn't us. If we'd like to bid for the build ourselves, we'll say so up front.

• Practical. Every recommendation comes with the reasoning, the risks and what it means for cost and timescale.

• Honest. If VR or AR isn't the right tool, we'll tell you.

• Senior. You speak to the people who do the work, not an account team.

Our core consultancy services

Project Costing

For agencies quoting for VR and AR work. You've got a brief and a pitch deadline, but no XR team to price it. We break the work down into its real parts: design, 3D content, development, testing, devices, deployment and support. We then cost it, set out the assumptions and flag the risks, so you can quote with confidence and protect your margin. We can work white-label, under NDA, and present the costing on your template. More on working with agencies

From £750 + VAT, fixed fee. One brief: itemised costs, timeline, assumptions and risks. Turnaround 3–5 working days. Fee credited in full against any build or pilot booked within 60 days.

Project Viability

Is the idea worth doing, and can it be done? Before you commit budget, we assess an idea on three fronts:

• Commercial: what it will cost to build, run and maintain, and what return you can realistically expect, whether that's training time saved, sales, engagement or visitor numbers.

• Technical: whether the devices, engine, content and connectivity can deliver what's promised, and what has to be proven first.

• Practical: who will use it, where, how often, and who will look after it afterwards.

You get a clear go, no-go or "prove it first" recommendation. Where the answer is "prove it first", we'll suggest the smallest pilot that will settle the question.

Fixed fee, quoted after a free 20-minute call. Fee credited in full against any build or pilot booked within 60 days.

Project Review

Is the project priced right, solving the right problem and deliverable on time? We look at an existing proposal, statement of work or project already under way, and tell you:

• whether the costing is realistic for the scope, neither padded nor dangerously thin;

• whether the proposed solution reflects the business need, or just the technology;

• whether the plan and timescale can actually be delivered, including testing, approvals and deployment;

• what to change, ask or cut to get it back on track.

It works for clients checking a supplier's proposal, for agencies checking a subcontractor, and for teams with a project that's slipping.

From £950 + VAT, fixed fee. One quote, solution and plan reviewed; rated verdict and 60-minute debrief. Turnaround 5 working days. Fee credited in full against any build or pilot booked within 60 days.

Prices are a guide; we confirm a fixed fee before we start.

More ways we can help

These are fixed-fee advisory services, quoted after a free 20-minute call. Fee credited in full against any build or pilot booked within 60 days.

Engine, tool and platform selection

Unity or Unreal? An app or web AR that runs in the browser? Standalone headset or PC VR? 360° video or real-time 3D? We match the technology to your content, audience, budget and lifespan. For one science-engagement team's campus AR trail, for example, we compared location-based AR with QR-launched web AR, and recommended the lower-cost, lower-risk option.

Headsets and deployment planning

How many headsets do you need, where will they live, who charges and cleans them, and how do updates reach them? We plan the practical side of a rollout: device choice, numbers, set-up, device management (MDM), logistics, onboarding and support. It's the part most budgets forget.

Brief and tender writing

A clear brief gets better, more comparable bids. We help you write a brief or tender that describes the outcome you need, sets realistic expectations for technology, cost and timescale, and asks suppliers the questions that separate them.

Independent second opinion and supplier assessment

Comparing proposals from several studios? We'll assess them side by side for cost, approach, risk and delivery capability, and tell you what we'd ask each supplier before signing.

Project rescue

When a VR, AR or 360° project is in trouble, we diagnose what's wrong quickly and set out a practical way to recover it. See the example below.

Comfort, accessibility and safety review

We check an experience for the things that make or break it with real users: onboarding for first-timers, comfort and motion, seated options, the ability to pause, readability, and the physical safety of the space. Our training work already builds these in. In Churchill's programme, trainees stay seated and can pause at any time.

Example: rescuing a 360° production under deadline

Client details are anonymised.

A video production agency had filmed a 360° office tour for a global financial-services client, to be watched on Meta Quest 3 headsets. Their editor was new to 360°, the stitched footage was blurred and juddery, and the deadline was close.

• Within the hour of their enquiry, we had the stitching running on their footage.

• Within two days we had delivered 8K stitches of both takes and a diagnosis of every capture fault: dolly wheels that juddered on hard floors, a main lens not facing the direction of travel, and low light.

• Then we explained the trade-offs between 8K mono and 4K stereo for the client, wrote a reshoot checklist, and tested an alternative stitcher on the problem shots. The agency used it for the final stitch and delivered the film to its client.

Their producer called us "my lifesaver".

The experience behind the advice

• 100+ projects for 30+ global clients. Building VR and AR since 2014, in Unity, for agencies, public bodies, charities and global brands.

• Award-winning VR training. The VR training we built with Churchill's team won the IWFM Impact Award for Technology Innovation in 2023, and was shortlisted for the i-FM Technology in FM Awards 2024. VR training

• Large-scale construction VR. For HS2's Old Oak Common station, subcontracted by the WSP-led design team, we optimised a very large design model (about 39 million polygons) to run smoothly in VR for eye-tracked wayfinding trials. The project was shortlisted for the RIA RISE Awards 2023. VR for construction

• Live heritage AR. Our web AR at Burnham Beeches has been running on visitors' own phones since November 2023. AR for heritage

• Agency production. Much of our work is white-label for agencies, so we know how agency budgets, pitches and timelines really work. For agencies

How it works

1. A 20-minute call. Tell us what you need: a costing, a viability check, a review or something else.

2. Agreed scope. We confirm what we'll look at, what you'll get and when, before any work starts.

3. Review and analysis. We work through your brief, proposal or project, and talk to your team where it helps.

4. Written findings. A clear, written report with recommendations, followed by a call to walk you through it.

Need to get stakeholders aligned first? A Discovery Day is a fun, educational team workshop with hands-on demos that ends in a written, costed plan.

Frequently asked questions

You build XR projects. Is your advice really independent?

Yes. We'll recommend the right engine, device or supplier for the job, even if that isn't us. If we'd like to bid for the build ourselves, we'll tell you at the start, so you can weigh our advice accordingly.

Can you cost a VR or AR project for our agency's pitch?

Yes. Project Costing is designed for agencies quoting for XR work. We can work white-label and under NDA, and present the costing on your template. See For agencies.

What do we get at the end?

Written findings with clear recommendations, the reasoning behind them and the risks, plus a call to walk you through them. For costings, you also get a breakdown and the assumptions behind it. Fee credited in full against any build or pilot booked within 60 days.

How much does consultancy cost?

Project Costing starts from £750 + VAT and Project Review from £950 + VAT, both fixed fees. Project Viability and other advisory work are fixed fees, quoted after a free 20-minute call. Prices are a guide; we confirm a fixed fee before we start.

How is this different from a Discovery Day?

Consultancy answers a specific question, such as what this will cost, whether it's viable or whether it's on track. A Discovery Day is a fun, educational team workshop for your stakeholders that turns an idea into a written, costed plan.

Do you work with projects built by other studios?

Yes. Project Review, second opinions and project rescue are often about work proposed or built by someone else.

Where are you based?

We're based in Brighton, and we advise on projects across the UK.

Get the numbers and the risks right first

Tell us about the brief, the idea or the project. We'll tell you honestly what we think and how we can help.

Email info@vrcraftworks.com · Call 01273 569010

Related: Discovery Day · For agencies · VR training · VR for construction · AR for heritage