Virtual Reality aka VR
Virtual Reality (VR) is the full virtual experience; the world is entirely virtual and is immersive enough to make you forget about the real world around you!
VR has actually been around for longer than you might think, going back as far as the early 1960’s. The first real boom came about in the early 1990’s, but the technology did not meet the hype, and consumer demand dropped. By the time 2010 rolled around, technology had caught up and Palmer Luckey introduced the Oculus Rift. Perhaps in part due to the failure of VR in the 1990’s, the rollout has been somewhat cautious with VR slowly and carefully easing into everyday use.
360 aka Fishtank VR
When we think of VR, we tend to think of headsets, goggles and YouTube videos of people falling over. However, there is another, lesser known term – Fishtank VR.
Rather than VR headsets, this type of VR focusses on shared and accessible experiences. Viewers experience a full 360 environment which can be static, video, real-world, CGI or a mixture of them all. Users cannot move through the environment independently and are fixed to a location, but content can be delivered across multiple platforms, from YouTube to TV and even un-tethered VR headsets.
This flexibility generally means Fishtank VR can be offered at a lower cost with lower initial investments.
Augmented Reality aka AR
Augmented Reality (AR) is an overlay of digital content in the real world. This can add a layer of information, dress you in historic costume or plant an object like the Apollo 11 Eagle Lunar Lander right in front of your eyes. Although the digital content can react to changes or movements in the real world, the two are not able to interact with each other at a more advanced level.
Although there are headsets on the horizon, for now, the most common use of AR is via apps on the humble mobile phone and tablet.
Mixed Reality aka MR
Mixed Reality (MR) is the merging of real and virtual environments which are able to interact with each other in real-time.
As these terms are still all very new, the definitions are still fairly fluid. As technology evolves, AR is becoming much more advanced, enabling a higher level of interaction between the real and virtual worlds. As such, it’s probable that AR (as the more widely known term) will soon reach a level in-line with MR, and the name ‘Mixed Reality’ will simply disappear in favour of Augmented Reality.
eXtended Reality aka XR
XR is the term which brings all these ‘R’s together!
Extended Reality is an umbrella under which VR/AR/MR/360 all sit. Until recently, the focus has been primarily VR and AR. Although XR has been around for a number of years, it has not yet reached mainstream use.
As technology develops beyond these early definitions, our uses will start to branch in different directions, requiring either more terms for new tools, or simply consolidating everything into one – XR.
