Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR) are distinct technologies that alter how users interact with digital content, but they do so in different ways. AR overlays digital information onto the real world, enhancing the user’s perception of their environment without removing them from it. For example, an AR application might display navigation directions on a live camera feed while the user is walking or driving. This allows users to see digital information integrated with their physical surroundings.
In contrast, Virtual Reality (VR) completely immerses users in a synthetic environment, isolating them from the real world. Users typically wear a VR headset that blocks out their actual surroundings and makes them feel as if they are in a different place, such as a virtual game world or a simulated training environment. For instance, VR technology is widely used in gaming and training simulations, allowing users to experience scenarios that might be impossible or dangerous in real life, like piloting a plane or exploring another planet.
Mixed Reality (MR) sits between AR and VR, blending elements of both. With MR, virtual objects can interact with the real world in real time. Users can see digital objects integrated into their environment and manipulate them as if they were real, enabling more complex interactions. An example of MR is the Microsoft HoloLens, which allows users to place holograms in their physical space and interact with them, like placing a virtual desk or model in a room and being able to move around it. In summary, AR enhances reality, VR creates an entirely new reality, and MR mixes the two, allowing for interaction with both real and virtual elements.