Bog'liq Metaverse Investing How NFTs, Web 3 0, Virtual Land and VR Are Going (3)
Augmented Reality
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality
(VR) are often confused or used interchangeably. These are two separate concepts, and you need to learn how to differentiate them while conducting your metaverse research. Augmented reality adds digital elements to a real-life environment, like TikTok filters. Virtual reality, on the other hand, consists of a completely artificial environment that exists outside the real world. We will talk about virtual reality in a moment, but first, let’s dive deeper into augmented reality.
We can expect to see augmented reality more in the early stages of Web 3.0. While it is not an easy technology to develop, making it accessible to the general public is much easier. Because of this, companies are coming up with augmented reality features first so they can get a foothold, while their virtual reality projects are still in development. Furthermore, augmented reality is simply cool and fun. Billions of people use augmented reality in the workplace, on social media, and for entertainment, while entirely disconnecting from the real world is scary to many.
But there is a sweet spot for this in the metaverse called mixed reality (MR). The mixed reality is where virtual reality and augmented reality meet to enhance the user experience. Together, all this process is referred to as extended reality (XR) and it will be a crucial aspect of the metaverse.
Mark Zuckerberg and like-minded
entrepreneurs advocate for a metaverse that will cut us from reality and into a new one. In their vision, augmented reality and virtual reality work hand in hand as extended reality to push the boundaries of reality as we know it.
Others like John Hanke of Google advocate for a different approach. They believe the real metaverse will rely heavily on augmented reality. This is similar to what they envision with Pokemon Go. Imagine taking a stroll in your city with augmented reality glasses. Upon reaching a historical building or statue, the glass could then display a convincing 3D animation of historic events to transport you back in time. Perhaps you are in an art district, in which case the glass could display a digital exhibition without having to go inside a museum.
The fact is virtual reality and augmented reality are inextricably linked. Basically, augmented reality gives the illusion of artificial objects in the real world, while virtual reality gives the illusion of inhabiting an artificial environment. Regardless of the debates, the fact remains. Augmented reality is a great technology, and we will see more of it.