Can Virtual Reality Become Bigger Than It Already Is?

VR is huge right now. Ok, not as big as other niches, but it still got off to a fantastic start in 2021 when compared to previous years. Some might say that it has reached the peak of its popularity and that things can only go downhill from here.

But is all of that true? Will VR go away just as subtly as it came by with the help of the Oculus Rift during the last decade, or will it grow to even bigger heights?

To give you a pertinent answer to that question, we will need some context and a better understanding of current technological events. Let’s explore.

The Differences Between AR, MR, and VR

First and foremost, it is important to distinguished between Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality, as these two often get confused. As for Mixed Reality, that is just a combination of the two.

Alright, AR the real world as its playground and places virtual objects inside of it. The best example in recent memory would be the groundbreaking game Pokémon Go. People would use their smartphone’s camera to look around in the real world and find all sorts of characters from the famous cartoon and game series.

VR, on the other hand, is when you completely immerse yourself in a virtual environment. It’s just you and your headset (plus optional controllers) admiring the view of a completely imaginary environment.

Which Is the Most Popular Right Now?

Currently speaking, VR is way more popular than AR. While Pokémon Go was indeed a success, it didn’t last all that long, and now only a handful of people play it when compared to the impressive previous numbers.

And sure, you might see an art gallery or similar event here and there where the organizers encourage people to download their proprietary AR app for one particular occasion.

But that’s about it. Virtual reality, on the other hand, is massive in gaming today thanks to the likes of Half-Life: Alyx and other similar titles.

Even the iGaming scene has chosen VR over AR, and with absolutely no dash of MR to be seen in any iGaming environment. However, things might change in the future. Enough about pure speculation; let’s get to the reasons why.

AR Might Overtake VR – Here’s Why

You’ve probably heard about sculpting in VR. Or, if you haven’t, you’ve read about it now. The thing is, designing stuff in virtual reality may be fun, but augmented reality is far more practical.

Once you get a pair of AR or MR glasses (the types of glasses that also let you see what’s in front of you instead of projecting an entire virtual image), then you can create prototypes and sculptures that are scaled one-to-one.

Imagine you’re working in a car factory. Instead of building physical prototypes of upgrades for a certain vehicle, you could just sculpt them in AR and have them projected as their true to life counterpart. It will save you a lot of time and money in the long run. Similarly, you can use AR glasses instead of a traditional GPS device to navigate your way around town. It makes things far easier.

Furthermore, AR glasses could prove far more useful in the future than a VR headset since you can carry them around with you at will without having your routine hindered in any way.

The Bottom Line

In conclusion, we think it’s safe to assume that VR will become even bigger than it is today, but it will be far surpassed by the practicality of AR.

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