Immersive technology has been around for decades but it’s only in the last 10 years or so that it truly exploded. From virtual reality gaming to spatial remote meetings and a whole lot more, a new frontier has opened up for everyday consumers. However, so has the complexity of the terminology and what various veins of the technology actually do. Which is why XR Source has created The XR Glossary to help with those troublesome abbreviations.
Virtual Reality (VR)
Virtual Reality (or simply VR) is the granddaddy of immersive technology and the one most people will likely have heard of. Coined some 40 years ago, it’s the easiest to explain and showcase to people.
Simply put, VR places users inside a digital world. While the same could be said for a flatscreen videogame, for example, VR goes that step further. Rather than looking at a screen, you look around a virtual world as you would do in real life, turning your neck and body in a natural motion. This gives your brain the sense that it’s actually in this world – or “immersed” as we like to call it.
There are many other factors involved that help users feel a sense of presence in VR, audio, locomotion, touch and more all combine with the visual aspect to form a fully realised digital world.
To enter VR you’ll need a headset – sometimes referred to as a head-mounted display (HMD). In today’s market, there are many on offer depending on your budget. There are standalone devices like the Meta Quest 3 and Vive Focus Vision which have all the computing and batteries onboard. While tethered headsets like PlayStation VR 2 connect via a USB cable to a PS5. Each has its pros and cons.
Augmented Reality (AR)
The next most popular term is Augmented Reality (AR). Rather than creating a virtual space, AR combines your real world with a digital one. And the great thing is, you probably already own a device that has AR features, your mobile phone.
Just like when you take a picture, an app or game will utilise your phone’s camera to display digital content in the real world. Think of it as a digital overlay, you hold your phone up and it could display information above a historic landmark. Or show you directions if you get lost. AR has become more and more ubiquitous over the past few years, whether that’s to perform a handy task or provide entertainment.
For example, fire up Google Translate and point it at a menu or sign you want to read and it’ll change it into the language of your choice. Games like Pokemon GO were some of the earliest AR titles, enabling players to see the colourful Pokemon as if they were right in front of them.
AR has also taken a step further with glasses like the Xreal Air 2 Ultra or Rokid’s offerings. These generally plug into your phone, giving you a giant digital display instead of looking at a small phone screen. Great for watching your favourite Netflix show on the go.
Mixed Reality (MR)
Now here is where things get interesting (or slightly confusing). If I said that MR combines digital information with the real world you’d rightly say: “but isn’t that AR?” and you be right, kinda. The truth is that mixed reality is an evolution of augmented reality. The difference is how the digital content reacts to the real world.
AR in simple terms is an overlay, plonked on top of whatever you’re looking at. It might have the appearance of being on a path or the side of a building, but it can’t interact with the world around it. On the other hand, mixed reality “mixes” digital content with the real one. Using some very fancy and highly complicated software, there’s a table in front of you, you’ll be able to place an item on top. Or if someone walks between you and a digital element, it’ll be occluded from your vision.
As an example, using Pokemon GO again, you’d see Pikachu run behind a tree rather than merely float on top. In the Ikea mobile app, you can select furniture and place it in your room to check sizing and style.
Devices like the Meta Quest 3, Pico 4 Ultra and Vive Focus Vision all have mixed reality features now. Enabling you to play both VR and MR games at home.
Spatial Computing
Many of the headsets mentioned can be classed as spatial computers, utilising enterprise-focused apps to work, engage in meetings and more. Mainly used as a professional tech term for many years, the arrival of Apple onto the scene in 2024 changed that.
Apple launched the Vision Pro (seen above) as its first entry into the immersive market. However, Apple being Apple, didn’t like standard terms like VR or MR headset. The Vision Pro was a spatial computer and that was that.
Spatial computing takes that boring old desktop interface and elevates it to a more impressive (and yes, immersive) level. Rather than having a couple of physical screens, why not have five virtual ones instead? Using virtual avatars, have a one-on-one meeting with a colleague on the other side of the world as if they were in the room with you. Or take some time out and watch a movie on a cinema-sized virtual screen.
eXtended Reality (XR)
Do you see where we’re going with this? All of these terms interlink which for those not ingrained in the technology can seem a tad confusing.
So lastly there’s eXtended Reality (XR). Trying to combine this smorgasbord of technical talk (oh there’s more we haven’t touched on), XR is used as an umbrella term for all of it. Hence why we’re called XR Source, because we love all of this tech and cover as much as possible.
All hail XR! We’ll be updating The XR Glossary as and when needed.
