AR, VR, MR, XR explained

01 / Overview

A One-Minute Overview

The easiest distinction to remember is: can you still see the real world, and how does digital content interact with it?

02 / Side by Side

Comparing 3D, AR, VR, MR and XR

Compare visuals, devices and interactions at a glance to choose the right experience. The device examples do not mean every app runs on every device.

AR and MR overlap; this table describes common usage, not absolute technical boundaries. Devices need the right app, operating system and capabilities. Cost also depends on content and deployment scope.

03 / Conventional 3D

3D: A Digital World on a Screen

Conventional 3D is a model or digital world with depth, displayed on a screen. Characters and settings in a 3D game are familiar examples: you view and control them, but they are not placed in your real room through a camera.

Devices and Interaction

• Phones and tablets: touch, drag to rotate, pinch to zoom, or controllers if the app supports them.
• PCs and laptops: mouse, keyboard or controllers.
• Game consoles: controllers and a TV or built-in screen.

3D suits games, product models, on-screen showrooms and simulations that do not require headsets. 3D also provides the content foundation for AR, VR and MR; the same model can appear in different types of experiences, but must be integrated and optimized for each platform.

04 / Augmented Reality

AR: Adding a Digital Layer to the Real World

AR (augmented reality) adds images, 3D models, text or effects to your view of the real environment. You still see the room, book page or product in front of you, along with additional digital content.

Where Is AR Commonly Used?

• Retail: try furniture, glasses or accessories before buying.
• Education: view anatomical models, artifacts or characters appearing on book pages.
• Marketing and culture: scan packaging, artwork or artifacts to unlock additional storytelling content.

Devices and Interaction

• Phones and tablets: the most common option; view through the camera, tap the screen or move the device to observe objects.
• PCs and laptops with cameras: can blend digital content with real images, such as trying on glasses through a webcam; control is by mouse or gestures where the software supports them. Not every PC supports spatial AR tracking or WebXR AR.
• AR glasses or passthrough headsets: show digital content alongside the real environment; interaction uses hands, gaze or controllers, depending on the system. On Meta Quest, spatial passthrough experiences are commonly called MR.

Think of AR as “real world + digital content”, without necessarily touching a screen. Object stability depends on tracking, lighting, surfaces and the device; not every AR experience fully understands the structure of a room.

05 / Virtual Reality

VR: Stepping into a Virtual Environment

VR (virtual reality) places you in a digital environment, replacing most or all of your view of the real world. With a VR headset and suitable content, you can look around, move or interact as though you were inside that space.

Where Is VR Commonly Used?

• Training: practice procedures, scenarios and tasks in a repeatable environment.
• Real estate: tour apartments or buildings before construction.
• Entertainment and exhibitions: experience immersive games, museums and storytelling spaces.

Devices and Interaction

• Standalone headsets: such as Meta Quest or some PICO models, can run apps on the headset without a PC.
• PC-connected headsets: such as Valve Index; some standalone headsets also support PC VR through a suitable connection and software.
• Console headsets: such as PlayStation VR2 with PS5; PS VR2 can also be used on a PC with a compatible adapter and configuration.

Some notable headset brands and product lines: Meta offers Meta Quest for games, VR and MR experiences; Apple offers Apple Vision Pro, focusing on spatial computing, apps and immersive content; PICO provides standalone VR headsets; Sony offers PlayStation VR2 for the PlayStation ecosystem; Valve offers Valve Index for PC VR. Each product line has its own app platform, controls and connection requirements; VR/MR capabilities depend on the device and software.

Interaction typically uses head movement, physical movement, controllers or hand tracking, depending on the headset and app. Deployment should account for a safe activity area, session length and the discomfort or motion sickness some users may experience.

06 / Mixed Reality

MR: Digital Content Anchored to Real Space

MR (mixed reality), in common usage today, combines the real environment with digital content that can be spatially anchored and interacted with. Devices may recognize floors, tables, walls or hands to create a more natural blended experience.

Where Is MR Commonly Used?

• Engineering: view and discuss 3D designs directly in the workspace.
• Task guidance: display instructions at the location of the equipment or part that needs attention.
• Training and collaboration: work with digital models while remaining aware of the surrounding environment.

Devices and Interaction

• Passthrough headsets: such as Meta Quest 3/3S or Apple Vision Pro, show the real environment through cameras alongside digital content. Sensing and spatial processing capabilities vary between devices.
• Optical see-through headsets: such as HoloLens 2, let you see the real environment directly, with additional content displayed on the lenses.
• Controls: hands, gestures, eye gaze or controllers, depending on the device and app; many experiences do not require touching a screen.

Not touching a screen is not enough to make it MR. AR can use gestures, VR also supports hand tracking, and MR can still use controllers. MR emphasizes the spatial relationship between digital content and the real environment: accurate anchoring, surface recognition, occlusion or interaction with real objects where the system supports it.

Experience quality depends on sensors, latency, tracking, software and spatial understanding. Having passthrough cameras alone does not automatically guarantee the full range of MR capabilities.

07 / Extended Reality

XR: The Umbrella for AR, VR and MR

XR (extended reality) is the umbrella term for AR, VR and MR technologies. When we talk about an “XR solution,” we mean a family of experiences that blend digital content with, or replace, our view of the real world.

An XR project may use only phone-based AR, only headset-based VR, or a combination of formats for different user groups. XR does not have to include all three technologies.

XR devices depend on the technology chosen: phones/tablets for many AR experiences, PCs for Web 3D or running PC VR content, and compatible headsets for VR/MR. There is no single device or control method called XR.

Are Web 3D and WebXR Forms of XR?

Web 3D lets you view and interact with 3D models in a browser. A model you rotate with a mouse does not automatically become AR or VR.

WebXR is a set of APIs that lets browsers access a device's XR capabilities, such as immersive AR or VR sessions. Actual availability depends on the browser, device, permissions and a secure HTTPS connection; opening a WebXR page does not guarantee immersive mode on every device.

08 / From Needs to Solutions

Which Technology Should a Business Choose?

Start with what users need to do, where they will do it and which devices they will use, rather than with a technology name.

1. Want Customers to Try Products at Home?

   Consider phone-based AR. If customers only need to view the shape, rotate it and inspect details, Web 3D may be enough.

2. Want Learners to Focus on a Simulated Scenario?

   Consider VR. Define the tasks to practice, how results will be assessed and how headsets will be managed before producing the content.

3. Want to Interact with Digital Content While Still Seeing the Workspace?

   Consider AR or MR based on the tracking and interaction required. Test on the actual devices, under the lighting and environmental conditions in which they will be used.

4. Want to Reach More People with a Single Link?

   Start with Web 3D or a suitable web-based AR solution. If using WebXR, check compatibility and provide an alternative experience for unsupported devices.

09 / Questions Answered

Frequently Asked Questions