Augmented Reality vs. Extended Reality

In the world of digital innovation, the concepts of augmented reality (AR) and extended reality (XR) have emerged as famous technologies with the potential to reshape the way we perceive and interact with the world around us. AR and XR belong to the family of mixed-reality technologies, where virtual elements blend seamlessly with the real world, creating immersive and interactive experiences. However, they each encompass distinct characteristics and applications, contributing to a diverse landscape of mixed realities.

Augmented reality (AR)

Augmented reality is a technology that overlays digital content, such as images, animations, and information, onto the real world. AR enhances the user's perception of reality by supplementing it with virtual elements, often in real time. This is typically achieved through the use of devices like smartphones, tablets, smart glasses, or even specialized AR headsets.

AR experiences can range from simple ones, like using a smartphone camera to scan a QR code that reveals additional information about a product, to more complex applications, such as gaming, where virtual characters and objects interact with the user's environment.

If you want to learn more about augmented reality, read this.

One of the most well-known examples of AR is the game "Pokémon GO," where players capture virtual creatures superimposed onto their physical surroundings using their smartphones.

Extended reality (XR)

Extended reality is a broader term that encompasses a spectrum of mixed reality technologies, including both augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). XR combines real and virtual environments to create immersive experiences that can be interactive and dynamic.

If you want to learn more about extended reality, read this.

XR aims to provide users with a more comprehensive and encompassing digital world that goes beyond augmenting reality. The spectrum of XR includes three main categories:

1. Augmented reality (AR): As previously mentioned, AR overlays digital content in the real world, enhancing the user's perception of their surroundings.

2. Virtual reality (VR): VR immerses users in a fully virtual environment that isolates them from the physical world. This is typically achieved using specialized headsets that replace the user's field of view with a computer-generated environment.

3. Mixed reality (MR): Mixed reality combines elements of both AR and VR. It involves the integration of virtual objects into the real world in a way that they appear to coexist and interact with physical objects. This category often requires more sophisticated hardware, such as Microsoft's HoloLens, which enables users to see and interact with holographic objects in their environment.

Key differences between AR and XR

Let's discuss the key differences between both technologies in order to understand them better.

Scope and terminology

• AR (augmented reality): AR refers to the technology that overlays digital content, such as images, videos, or 3D models, onto the real-world environment. It enhances the real world by adding virtual elements.

• XR (extended reality): XR is an umbrella term that encompasses a broader spectrum of reality-altering technologies, including AR, VR (virtual reality), and MR (mixed reality). XR is used to describe any technology that combines real and virtual environments.

Range of reality alteration

• AR: AR primarily adds digital elements to the real world, enhancing the user's perception of their surroundings. Examples include Snapchat filters, Pokémon GO, and heads-up displays (HUDs) in vehicles.

• XR: XR includes AR but goes beyond it. XR encompasses both virtual environments (VR) and interactions where virtual and real worlds interact (MR).

Interaction with the environment

• AR: In AR, the user still interacts with and is aware of their physical surroundings. Digital content is overlaid in the real-world environment, and users can interact with both.

• XR: XR can involve various levels of interaction. In VR, the user is completely immersed in a virtual environment and may not be aware of the physical surroundings. In MR, the virtual content interacts with and responds to the real-world environment, blurring the lines between real and virtual.

Immersiveness

• AR: AR provides a lower level of immersion compared to VR or even MR. Users are still primarily engaged with the real world, with digital content acting as enhancements.

• XR: Depending on the specific technology (VR, AR, MR) within XR, the level of immersion can vary. VR provides the highest level of immersion by completely replacing the real world with a virtual one.

Applications

• AR: AR is commonly used in applications like gaming, education, training, marketing, and navigation, where enhancing the real-world experience with digital content is valuable.

• XR: XR technologies have broader applications. VR is used in gaming, simulations, therapy, and training scenarios. MR is employed in fields like architecture, design, medical imaging, and industrial maintenance.

Hardware requirements:

• AR: AR often requires devices like smartphones, tablets, or AR glasses that can overlay digital content onto the user's view of the real world.

• XR: XR encompasses a wide range of hardware, from VR headsets that create immersive virtual environments to AR glasses that blend virtual and real content.

Summary

In essence, augmented reality (AR) is a subset of extended reality (XR), with XR encompassing a broader range of experiences that go beyond just augmenting reality. On the other hand, XR includes virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR), offering varying levels of immersion, from complete virtual environments to hybrid experiences that merge virtual and real elements.

Let's summarize the differences in tabular form to provide a clear illustration between them both.