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Differences Between AR and VR – Metaverse on the Go

Differences Between AR and VR

Hello! Welcome to another blog post in our Metaverse series. So far, we’ve talked about what the Metaverse is, Influencers, Advertising, and Cryptocurrency. If you didn’t get a chance to read any of those posts, you may want to begin there. It’ll help you understand what we’re about to dive into.

Today, we’re discussing Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), leaning more toward AR in this post because it’s the portable version. But we’ll talk about VR before we nosedive into AR. Ready? Grab a hot drink (it’s freaking cold out there), and get comfortable. This is going to be a wild ride.

VR is hot right now. If you’ve seen the Kia commercial for the Forte where the car is racing a motorcycle, you’ll understand a little about what VR encompasses. Yes, there are chairs, seats, and customized rides you can get to go with your headset, which is a VR must. Because it’s fully immersive technology, you can’t walk around outside or through your house while using it. You’ll almost certainly trip over something and end up hurt. Seeing what you’re doing in real life (IRL) while using the technology of the Metaverse is something a lot of people with vertigo issues (like me) or optical occlusions will appreciate. That’s where AR might make a bigger bang than VR.

Even though we’re a good few years out from really excellent AR glasses, there have been a number of releases lately that are showing how close we are to fully immersive technology. Facebook and Ray-Ban just teamed up to release a pair of AR glasses called Ray-Ban Stories. The idea behind these glasses is for the user to be able to record what’s going on in the world around them as it happens without the need to hold a phone. It’ll also be a first-person experience, so you see the action or image through the poster’s eyes. Here is a review of them if you find yourself interested.

Huawei released a pair of AR glasses back in December that do pretty much what your smartwatch does (besides tracking your fitness). Their downside is that they only work with other Huawei products, but according to that article, users can connect to more than one. On the upside, though, is that you can have your prescription lenses put in these glasses. Now that’s something everyone can appreciate, right?

But let’s take a look at the new Lenovo AR glasses, the ThinkReality A3 Smart Glasses. They’re geared toward companies that need employees to have an easier time while working remotely. Because their glasses are wired, users are usually sitting at a computer screen when using this cool AR technology. With a custom UI, work becomes faster and more productive. Check out the article here for more information and a truly in-depth look at this cool device (they also show you what it looks like when you’re wearing them, so click, read, and soak it all in).

I’m sure you’ve noticed that Microsoft is nowhere in this article yet. That’s because they haven’t released their AR glasses to the public. To add more mystery, Microsoft is leaping, and no one is looking twice at what they’re doing. As of the writing of this article (19 Jan), Microsoft is looking to purchase Activision Blizzard for the bargain price of around $68 billion. Why does this matter? Well, Microsoft is also the owner of X-Box, and if they can somehow manage to bring AR to life with a game attached before anyone else, they’re going to make even more money than they already do. Knowing them, it’ll be a bumpy ride, but the end product is going to blow everyone’s minds. As an aside, I used to know someone who worked at the Microsoft innovation labs, and I’ve seen things you probably don’t even know exist—things that make the leap to superimposition a baby step.

It won’t be long now. You can take that to the bank.

Now, back to AR and the Metaverse on the go.

The Metaverse isn’t going to be owned by Facebook, Microsoft, Nvidia, or any of those tech companies. Access to the Metaverse will require users without the knowledge of how to build it themselves to purchase a device though. Even if one of them builds a Metaverse platform, they’ll have to abide by the rules of the internet—slowly becoming rules of the Metaverse as well—that no one can “own” the technology. If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, take a look at this post on the history of the world wide web, paying particular attention to the ideas section near the bottom. That being said, it also hints there will be a standard by which everyone will abide.

In order to take the Metaverse on the go, we’ll need a pair of AR glasses, but that’s just where the fun will begin. Imagine playing a game, using/clipping coupons for products while you’re in the store, getting discounts shown to you as you shop, or even buying the outfit the girl across the room is wearing without having to search the internet for hours to find it.

You’ll be able to attend work meetings from your living room as though everyone is actually there, have Shakespeare on hand in English class to answer questions you might have about iambic pentameter, or even watch a streamed movie while you wait in line for a ride at a theme park. There are only the limits of what companies can come up with in the Metaverse. If it can be imagined, there’s a way to make it happen, and AR glasses are the key to taking the Metaverse with you, outside your home.

Thanks for hanging with us today. If you enjoyed this article, consider giving one of our social media accounts a follow or subscribe to our newsletter so you don’t miss a thing! Be sure and come back for our next Metaverse topic, too. It’s never too early to plan for tomorrow.

Contributor

Jo Michaels

Marketing Coordinator

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