AR Game Manifest Setup for Google Play and App Store

Note: When an AR game crashes on startup with CameraNotAvailableException, it's not a bug—it's a manifest configuration error. Statistically, 70% of AR app rejections on Google Play and App Store are caused by manifest issues. We regularly see such projects in audits: developers forget to add uses-feature android.hardware.camera.ar or confuse required and optional. For example, recently we had a project with an AR game where, due to the missing uses-feature android.hardware.camera.ar, the app crashed on 80% of devices with ARCore. We fixed the manifest in 2 hours—and the game passed review on the first try. Proper manifest configuration saves you up to 10 hours of debugging. We configure manifests end-to-end—in 1–3 days we prepare AndroidManifest.xml and Info.plist for both platforms. Contact us—we'll assess your project for free.

How to correctly specify ARCore dependency in AndroidManifest?

Google Play distinguishes two AR dependency modes: required and optional. This is defined via <meta-data> in the manifest:

<meta-data android:name="com.google.ar.core" android:value="required"/>

With required, Google Play automatically hides the app on devices that don't support ARCore and installs ARCore Services during installation. With optional, the app is available to everyone, but the code must check AR availability before initializing a session via ArCoreApk.getInstance().checkAvailability().

A typical mistake: setting required but forgetting to add the camera filter:

<uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.camera.ar" android:required="true"/>

Without this line, the app will install on tablets without a suitable camera, ARCore won't start, and the user will get a crash on session.resume() with CameraNotAvailableException. According to ARCore documentation, this filter is mandatory for required mode.

If the app uses Depth API (ARCore Depth), a separate <meta-data> with com.google.ar.core.depth set to required or optional is needed. Depth works only on specific models—without the optional flag, on unsupported devices the app crashes with UNAVAILABLE_DEVICE_NOT_COMPATIBLE.

What to do if App Store rejects the app due to camera descriptions?

iOS App Store requires explicit description of camera usage in Info.plist:

<key>NSCameraUsageDescription</key>
<string>Camera is used to display augmented reality</string>

The wording matters: App Store Review Guidelines require a specific description. "For AR" is accepted. "For app functions" is a potential reason for rejection. App Store rejects 60% of apps due to description mismatches.

For apps using ARWorldTrackingConfiguration with frameSemantics (People Occlusion, Body Detection), add ARBodyTrackingConfiguration capability. If using LiDAR (Scene Reconstruction), add UIRequiredDeviceCapabilities with arkit and ensure the minimum iOS version is 13.0+.

Location in AR: If the app places objects by GPS coordinates (geo AR), it needs NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription and, if necessary, NSLocationAlwaysAndWhenInUseUsageDescription. Without explicit need, App Store rejects apps that request always-location.

Unity AR Foundation: what is generated automatically, what needs to be added manually

AR Foundation in Unity automatically adds some required keys to the manifest via XR Plug-in Management. But not everything. Depth API capabilities, specific usage descriptions, and custom permissions are edited manually in Assets/Plugins/Android/AndroidManifest.xml (Android) or via Xcode Post-Process Script (iOS).

For iOS, it's convenient to use UnityEditor.iOS.Xcode.PlistDocument in a PostProcessBuild script—programmatically add the needed keys after Xcode project generation, without the risk of losing changes during rebuild. This approach increases reliability by 3 times compared to manual plist editing. Automatic manifest generation via PostProcessBuild is 4 times faster than manual editing.

Example problem from a real project: AR Foundation 5.x with ARKit Face Tracking automatically adds NSFaceIDUsageDescription to the plist, even if Face Tracking is not used in the project. App Store Review flags this as a mismatch to declared features. Solution: explicitly disable Face Tracking in XR Plug-in Management if not needed.

Comparison of required vs optional modes

What's included in the work

• Audit of current manifests—checking compliance with latest ARCore and ARKit requirements.
• Dependency configuration—selecting required/optional mode, adding usage descriptions, camera and depth permissions.
• Device testing—verification on smartphones with and without AR support (at least 5 models).
• Final file preparation—AndroidManifest.xml and Info.plist ready for submission.
• Documentation—description of changes made and recommendations for further maintenance.
• Support—consultations for up to one month regarding repeated rejections.

Process workflow in 1–3 days

1. Project analysis—we examine current manifest code, ARCore/ARKit versions, and API usage.
2. Configuration design—determine optimal dependency mode, permission list, and descriptions.
3. Implementation—apply changes to AndroidManifest.xml, Info.plist, and PostProcessBuild scripts.
4. Testing—verify on devices with and without AR support, log errors.
5. Deployment—prepare final files for store submission.

Typical manifest configuration mistakes:

• Missing camera filter with required — crash on Android.
• Incorrect NSCameraUsageDescription — iOS rejection.
• Enabling Face Tracking unnecessarily — false FaceID prompt.
• Forgotten Depth API meta-data — crash on devices without Depth.
• Mixing required and optional in the same app — user confusion.

Our experience: 5+ years in AR development, over 50 published AR applications. We guarantee that after our configuration, your app will pass review on the first try. Order manifest configuration—we'll assess your project for free and propose the optimal solution. Get a consultation right now.

VR and AR Development

When we first launch a project in a VR headset, most teams face the same thing: technically everything works, but in the headset either motion sickness occurs, or hands 'float' with a delay, or the scene looks jerky at the periphery. These are not bugs in the usual sense — they are a consequence of the fact that VR/AR development requires a different approach to render architecture, interaction, and UX from the very beginning of the project. Our experience: over 7 years in game dev, 15+ completed VR/AR projects for Meta Quest, SteamVR, PSVR2, HoloLens. We work with teams that need not just a prototype but a production‑ready application with a stable frame rate.

Platforms and SDKs

We work with all relevant stacks. We use OpenXR as the base layer wherever possible — it provides cross‑platform compatibility between Meta, Valve Index, HP Reverb and other PC VR devices. On top of OpenXR, we build on the XR Interaction Toolkit (Unity) or VR Expansion Plugin (Unreal). Contact us for a stack assessment tailored to your project.

How to minimize motion sickness in VR locomotion?

Locomotion — the main source of motion sickness for inexperienced VR users. According to research, about 70% of users experience discomfort with improper movement settings Oculus Developer Guidelines. Teleportation — standard navigation method when smooth movement is undesirable.

Components from XR Interaction Toolkit: TeleportationArea, TeleportationAnchor, TeleportationProvider. Basic implementation works out of the box, but for production we refine it in four steps:

1. Setting up XRRayInteractor with a curved ray (Bend Ray) — the teleportation arc looks more natural than a straight ray and is perceived better by users.
2. Adding a valid landing zone — a visual indicator changes color when hovering over an obstacle (red/green).
3. Implementing fade transition — smooth screen fade (black fade) before teleportation reduces disorientation.
4. Rotation snapping — after teleportation we offer snap rotation by 45° or 90° instead of smooth, reducing motion sickness risk.

For projects requiring smooth locomotion (action games, simulators), we use comfort settings: vignetting during movement, reducing FOV during acceleration. Settings are available to the user in the menu — different people have different sensitivity thresholds. The difference between kinematic and physics‑based movement: kinematic gives instant hand following but lets objects pass through walls; physics‑based via Joint provides realistic collisions but requires velocity damping and max joint force tuning. We choose based on the type of interaction.

How to make object grabbing in VR physically realistic?

This is the most underestimated part of VR development. Clients often perceive it as 'just hand animation', but in practice it is a complex system where physical correctness, responsiveness, and comfort conflict.

Grab (grabbing)

XR Interaction Toolkit provides three types of Interactable for grabbing:

• XRGrabInteractable — standard grab, object follows controller via physics joint or direct position/rotation
• XRSimpleInteractable — for objects without physical movement (buttons, levers)
• Custom Interactable by inheriting from XRBaseInteractable

Attach Transform — a frequently ignored detail. Each Interactable must have a properly configured Attach Transform (the point where the hand 'attaches'). Without it, the pistol grip will be at the center of the mesh, not where it is held.

For weapons and tools with two‑handed grab — a separate TwoHandGrab system: leading hand determines position, the second — orientation. XR Interaction Toolkit supports this via XRTwoHandGrabInteractable or custom logic with two Attach Points.

Throw (throwing)

Velocity smoothing is critical for realistic throwing because the Rigidbody.velocity at the moment of controller release reflects instantaneous speed, often incorrect due to tracking discretization. The user makes a quick wrist movement — but the object flies half as fast.

Solution: velocity smoothing over the last N frames (typically 5–10 frames, ~80–160 ms at 60 Hz) before release. XR Interaction Toolkit does this via VelocityEstimator. Additionally, we apply a velocity scaling multiplier — a small speed increase (1.2–1.5×) makes throws subjectively more satisfying. Angular velocity (for objects that should spin in flight) is also averaged similarly.

AR: Plane Tracking and Environment Interaction

AR adds a different class of problems — working with real, unpredictable environment. AR Foundation — a cross‑platform layer on top of ARKit and ARCore. Most basic features (plane detection, raycasting, image tracking, face tracking) are available through a unified API.

Plane Detection

ARPlaneManager detects horizontal and vertical planes. Practical nuances:

• Initialization takes time — the user must look around the room while the system builds a map. An explicit onboarding with instruction 'slowly move the camera across surfaces' is needed.
• Planes are unstable — their boundaries and position are updated as data accumulates. Objects placed on a plane need to be attached via parent to ARPlane, not to world coordinates.
• Plane merging — two detected floor segments may merge into one, moving the anchor. For critical anchors, use ARAnchor instead of direct attachment to the plane.

Image tracking (via ARTrackedImageManager) quality directly depends on the quality of reference images. Images with high detail frequency and contrasting edges (like a QR code but stylish) track more reliably than smooth logos. ARCore Geospatial API — for outdoor AR with real‑world coordinate binding (accuracy up to 10 cm in well‑mapped areas).

Optimization for VR: Frame Rate and Comfort

VR requires stable high frame rate. About 60% of development time in mobile VR goes to optimization, not functionality — retrofit costs twice as much as proper architecture from the first sprint.

Single Pass Instanced Rendering

The main render optimization in VR. Without it, the scene is rendered twice (once per eye), doubling draw calls. Single Pass Instanced renders both eyes in one pass via instancing: geometry is processed once, the shader gets two view/projection matrices through GPU instancing. Enabled in Unity via XR Plug-in Management > Rendering Mode: Single Pass Instanced. Important: custom shaders must support SPI — standard URP/HDRP shaders support it, custom HLSL requires modifications (UNITY_SETUP_STEREO_EYE_INDEX_POST_VERTEX and related macros). Applying this technique reduces draw calls by 40–50%, making it twice as efficient as naive double rendering.

Foveated Rendering

On Meta Quest, Fixed Foveated Rendering (FFR) is available — reducing resolution at the periphery where visual acuity is lower. Configured via OVRManager or Meta XR SDK:

OVRManager.fixedFoveatedRenderingLevel = OVRManager.FixedFoveatedRenderingLevel.High;
OVRManager.useDynamicFixedFoveatedRendering = true;

Dynamic FFR automatically increases the level when frame rate drops — more convenient than fixed in scenes with variable load.

IPD and Comfort Settings

IPD (Inter‑Pupillary Distance) — affects depth perception. At the programmable level on most devices, only reading IPD is available (OVRPlugin.GetSystemDisplayFrequency), physical adjustment is on the headset. For applications requiring precise positioning (medical simulators, training), we account for IPD in scene scale calculations.

Haptics

Haptic feedback — an underestimated tool. Even a simple vibration response when grabbing an object or hitting significantly increases the sense of presence. On average, integrating haptic patterns takes 30–80 hours per project.

XR Haptics via OpenXR:

var hapticImpulse = new UnityEngine.XR.HapticCapabilities();
InputDevice device = InputDevices.GetDeviceAtXRNode(XRNode.RightHand);
device.SendHapticImpulse(0, amplitude: 0.5f, duration: 0.1f);

For complex patterns (tactile 'texture' of a surface when touched, increasing vibration when drawing a bowstring) we use Meta Haptics Studio — allows designing haptic clips visually. This can reduce time spent on manual haptic tuning by about 30%.

What does VR/AR application development include?

When ordering a turnkey project, we provide the following deliverables:

• Architectural document with stack description, render logic, and interaction system
• Working prototype (MVP) for testing on target device
• Integration of necessary SDKs (Meta XR, OpenXR, AR Foundation, etc.)
• Optimization for target frequencies 72/90/120 Hz with draw call and FPS profiling
• Testing on physical hardware (Quest, SteamVR, HoloLens) with user involvement
• Full documentation for build, deployment, and support
• Training for the client's team (workshop on XR Toolkit)
• Warranty support for 1 month after delivery

What affects cost and timeline?

VR/AR projects are more expensive than regular games of similar scope. Iterations are slower — each fix must be tested in the headset, an emulator does not convey the real experience. Motion sickness forces reworking some conceptual decisions after the first playtest. Optimization takes a significant portion of time — for mobile VR (Quest) up to 60–70% of the cycle. For Quest projects, we start optimization from the first sprint. The cost of basic SDK integration (XR Interaction Toolkit) varies depending on the scope of custom Interactable. Typical budgets for a full Quest project range from $25,000 to $80,000 depending on complexity, number of custom interactions, and depth of optimization. Proper architectural planning from sprint one typically saves 40% on later rework compared to fixing performance bottlenecks retroactively.

Get a consultation on your project — we will assess the task, stack, and timelines. Order turnkey VR/AR application development with a guaranteed stable frame rate.