LiveKit VR Streaming Test

Goal: Test LiveKit for VR streaming without disrupting the current Unity Render Streaming setup.

This is a minimal proof-of-concept to validate:

• ✅ LiveKit works with Unity on Quest
• ✅ Recording works automatically
• ✅ Video quality is acceptable
• ✅ Parent notifications work via webhooks

Quick Start

1. Prerequisites

• LiveKit Cloud account (sign up at https://cloud.livekit.io)
• Node.js 18+
• Unity 2021.3+ (for testing Unity client)

2. Backend Setup (5 minutes)

cd backend
npm install
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your LiveKit credentials
npm run dev

3. Test Web Viewer (2 minutes)

cd viewer
npm install
npm start
# Open http://localhost:3000

4. Unity Setup (10 minutes)

See unity-setup/README.md for step-by-step Unity integration.

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Project Structure

livekit-vr-test/
├── backend/              # Token generation server
│   ├── server.js        # Simple Express server
│   └── package.json
├── viewer/              # React web viewer
│   ├── src/
│   └── package.json
├── unity-setup/         # Unity integration guide
│   └── LiveKitTest.cs   # Simple Unity script
└── README.md

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Test Plan

Phase 1: Basic Connection (Day 1)

• Backend generates tokens successfully
• Web viewer connects to LiveKit
• Can see connection status

Phase 2: Unity Streaming (Day 2-3)

• Unity project connects to LiveKit
• Video stream appears in web viewer
• Audio works
• Quality is acceptable (1080p, 30fps)

Phase 3: Features (Day 4-5)

• Recording saves to S3 automatically
• Webhooks trigger on stream start/stop
• Multiple viewers can watch
• Works on Quest headset

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Comparison with Unity Render Streaming

Feature	Unity Render Streaming	LiveKit
Setup Complexity	Medium	Low
Unity Code	~400 lines	~100 lines
Backend Code	~1000 lines	~200 lines
Recording	DIY	Built-in
TURN Servers	Setup required	Built-in
Multi-viewer	Complex	Native
Webhooks	DIY	Built-in
Cost	$200-400/month	$299/month

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Decision Criteria

After testing, choose based on:

Choose Unity Render Streaming if:

• ❌ LiveKit doesn't work on Quest
• ❌ Video quality is worse
• ❌ Integration is too complex
• ✅ You want full control

Choose LiveKit if:

• ✅ Works well on Quest
• ✅ Video quality is good
• ✅ Features work (recording, webhooks)
• ✅ Simpler codebase

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Getting LiveKit Credentials

1. Sign up: https://cloud.livekit.io
2. Create a project
3. Copy credentials:
   • LIVEKIT_URL (wss://your-project.livekit.cloud)
   • LIVEKIT_API_KEY
   • LIVEKIT_API_SECRET
4. Paste into backend/.env

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Next Steps

1. Today: Set up backend and test web viewer
2. Tomorrow: Add Unity integration
3. Day 3: Test on Quest headset
4. Day 4: Test recording and webhooks
5. Day 5: Make decision (keep or switch)

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Support

• LiveKit Docs: https://docs.livekit.io
• LiveKit Discord: https://livekit.io/discord
• Unity SDK: https://github.com/livekit/client-sdk-unity

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Notes

This is a parallel test - your current Unity Render Streaming setup remains untouched. You can compare both approaches side-by-side before making a decision.