The lines between Augment, Virtual and Mixed reality are not defined, sometimes leading to confusion with users and developers. There are multiple acronyms used throughout the industry that are inconsistently labelled leading to confusion. (Rauschnabel et al., 2022)
- AR – Augmented Reality
- VR – Virtual Reality
- MR – Mixed Reality
- XR – Extended Reality
Some researchers have stated that all headings fall under VR while others state that certain hardware are necessary, i.e. for MR a headset is needed. This ambiguity will lead to confusion for customers, leading to issues with satisfaction and expectations not being met. This in turn will cause friction in the dissemination of the Metaverse, slowing down uptake (Rauschnabel et al., 2022). Defining each of these categories of realities is imperative to the success of the industry.
Augmented Reality
Augmented Reality typically refers to a combination of digital information with the real world represented in Real-Time. The development of mobile devices has lead to a substantial number of users having access to technology, i.e. smart phones. The device can augment digital assets into reality, a computer-generated overlay on real world objects. Its important to note that AR can be taken further to a point sometimes referred to as, augmented virtuality (AV). In this scenario, the majority of the reality becomes virtual.
Virtual Reality
Virtual reality surprisingly predates augmented reality first being conceptualised before world war 2. VR as we know it today typically involves a ‘head-mounted displays’ (HMDs). In WW2 VR was used for pilot training and still is today. VR is typically used in job training , prototyping, marketing and tourism to give people experiences in real-time.
These distinguished between the two still cause confusion. As you introduce mixed reality VR and AR become intertwined and the definition of the experience becomes increasingly more difficult to describe.
Rauschnabel (et al., 2022) literature research explores the definition.
The “MR-dominant view”
As experiences move through each diagram, the user is taken from reality to Virtual reality. When it comes to AR and AV, both fo these experiences sit in a mixed reality viewpoint. However, as the user moves from one side to the next its not clear at which point the users moves from the AR to AV. A proposal to make AR and AV a continuum has been suggested and that AR and AV should be labelled as MR.
Extended Reality View
Has been taken from multiple consultants and some defining factors include Assisted reality and Mixed Reality when discussing AR and that VR requires 360 deg view point of a virtual environment, essentially a full immersive experience. A shift in the term XR happened around the release of Hololens and many professionals have not yet scrutinised the definition of XR, hence the question mark in the Extended Reality View.
Rauschnabel proposes a new model
The suggestion is that AR and VR sit within mixed reality. In the above diagram AR and VR are combined and requires any physical local presence being incorporated into the presence. New terminology introduced in this diagram include:
Assisted Reality – where glasses can help a user expand on their understanding of reality, i.e. on an assembly line.
Local presence is a factor in the Assisted Mixed Reality, the more reality is integrated the higher the level of local presence making for a better experience.
Atomistic Virtual Reality – this is a basic formatting of a virtual environment, essentially low fidelity where the environments realism is secondary to goal to be completed. i.e. a training simulation does not require high end experience.
Holistic Virtual Reality – on the contrary to atomistic, Holistic refers to high fidelity user experiences. These might be brand advocate activation user experiences that require an interactive experience that is true to life.
The main difference between Augmented Reality vs Virtual Reality:
| Augmented Reality | Virtual Reality | |
| Role of the local physical environment | Is extended/diminished | Is replaced |
| Usage time frame (potential) | Enduring | Temporarily |
| Typical Usage context | Everywhere | In a “secure” area (e.g., at home) or in specific contexts (e.g., therapy, amusement parks, shop etc.) |
| Technology | Devices: Stationary, mobile, wearable, on-/in-body, projectors Display techniques: Video see-through displays Optical see-through displays Projection | Devices: Wearables (HMDs), caves (declining practical relevance) Display techniques: Video displays, projection |
| Physical risks | Collisions or accidents through distraction | Collisions or accidents through disconnection with the real world |
| Privacy concerns | The user and surrounding people | The user |
| Motion sickness | Rarely applicable | Significant |
| Specific Mechanism | Local Presence | Telepresence |
| Typical Use Cases | Situations where combined experiences of real and virtual content is beneficial (e.g., to compare sizes, e.g., of furniture) and possible (e. g., the home for the furniture already exists) | Situations where the physical or story context does not exist (e.g., a fictitious game), is not accessible to a user (e.g., the moon, time travel) or where the actual physical context is not desirable (e.g., in training situations that would be dangerous in the real-world). |
