Inside the Anatomy of VR Development

A new Nature study just outlined 80+ requirements for building effective VR anatomy apps.

Most readers won’t dig through dozens of pages of research—but that’s where we come in. We’ve pulled out the key findings. We’ll show you the requirements that matter most. And we’ll put them into context with our own work, like the VR endoscopy training project we built for Karl Storz.

Here’s the anatomy of VR development—in plain English.

The Study in a Nutshell

In February 2025, Nature Scientific Reports published a study that could change how we think about VR training.

The researchers reviewed dozens of anatomy apps and distilled what makes them effective. The result: a framework of 23 content needs and 57 technical requirements—more than 80 checkpoints that define whether a VR app actually works as a training tool. This matters because VR is no longer a novelty. Companies are investing serious money in immersive training, but until now, there hasn’t been a clear playbook. Most projects were built on intuition, trial-and-error, or the priorities of whoever held the budget. With this framework, we now have evidence-based guidance: what to include, what to avoid, and how to measure success.

And it echoes what we’ve already seen firsthand in our own projects, like Karl Storz’s VR endoscopy training.

Content Requirements (What to Teach)

The first pillar of the Nature framework is content. Out of the 80+ requirements, 23 focus on what’s being taught—accuracy, relevance, and alignment with the learner’s goals.

Here’s the distilled list of the 23 content requirements the researchers identified:

When we worked with Karl Storz, this principle was front and center.

Endoscopy is a delicate procedure, and any mistake in content could have real consequences in the operating room.

So the VR training app was built directly on surgical guidelines, vetted by practicing doctors, and reviewed at every development stage.

Technical Requirements (How to Teach It)

If content is the “what,” the technical side is the “how.”

The Nature study lists 57 technical requirements that shape whether VR training is usable, immersive, and effective. To make this easier to grasp, we can group them into five big buckets:

Why This Matters for Industry

The Nature study may have focused on anatomy apps, but the implications reach far beyond medical training.

Whether you’re teaching a surgeon, a factory technician, or a pilot, the same anatomy of VR development applies. Healthcare companies need accuracy and trust. Manufacturing firms need usability and performance for large teams. Aviation requires immersion and assessment to ensure safety.

In every case, the framework points to the same truth: VR works only when content and technical requirements align.

This is why projects fail when they chase flashy features without a structured backbone. A beautiful simulation with poor usability won’t train anyone. A high-end headset with inaccurate content is a waste of budget. But when the anatomy is respected, VR becomes more than a gadget—it becomes a scalable tool that improves learning outcomes, reduces error rates, and accelerates workforce readiness. That’s what made the Karl Storz project successful.

And it’s why this framework is so valuable for any company considering VR today.

Mastermind’s Takeaway

The big picture is clear: With frameworks like Nature’s and real-world proof from projects like Karl Storz, the anatomy of VR development is now mapped out.

Content. Technical design. Validation. These are the pillars that make the difference between a flashy demo and a trusted training tool

So the question is—how does this look inside your organization?

Or, if you’re a consultant, how do you present this anatomy to a potential client in a way that wins their trust?

That’s exactly where we come in.

Book a call with us, and we’ll show you how to apply this framework directly to your industry or consulting practice—step by step, with concrete examples from our past builds.

That’s a wrap

Talk soon!

Bruno Filkin
Founder, Mastermind VR