So, now we’ve discussed both augmented reality and virtual reality, you may still be wondering what the differences are. Well, let’s explain.
VR and AR accomplish two different things in two different ways. Despite their device’s similar designs, they are not the same.
Virtual reality replaces reality. It takes you somewhere else. What you see through a VR headset is not what is around you. It may look realistic enough to touch and walk around but it's virtual. It’s not physically existing. Software has created the image to make your brain experience something that it believes to be real.
When you turn on a VR headset, the LCD or OLED panels inside are refracted by the lenses. These fill your field of vision with whatever the VR is displaying. Whether it’s a game or a 360-degree video, you will be taken to wherever the headset wants to take you. Simply, the outside world is replaced with a virtual one.
On the other hand, augmented reality simply adds to the reality. Instead of conjuring up artificial surroundings such as virtual reality does, AR projects information on top of what you’re already seeing. It’s adding images or texts on top of your real reality.
Both are very powerful technologies and were science fiction until the last few decades. And the exciting aspect of both AR and VR is that they are both still in their infancy. Both technologies are yet to make their mark with consumers but already show a great deal of promise.
Augmented reality and virtual reality change how we view reality. VR changes the physical surroundings into something that isn’t there while AR just adds a few extra items to what we already see.
These technologies have changed how we use computers and phones and will continue to do so. But, at the moment, knowing which one will be the most popular and succeed is anyone’s guess. Only time will tell which will take over the technological market. With the advent of AI, what we know as reality could easily become warped in the next century or less.