Just like anything that has anything to do with technology, the world of gaming continues to change and evolve every single day, with new technology and exciting innovations coming to light constantly. Every new type of tech seems more exciting than the last, and with ever-changing software and hardware, it really seems like there’s no limit to what can be done.
But in and amongst the most exciting types of tech are virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR). These innovations have the potential to not only change the future of gaming, but to create brand new world too – literally, brand new virtual worlds – and add to ones that already exist. These types of technology can be (and are) used in gaming, but also in professional and educational environments too.
So, we’re going to take a dive into these three exciting new channels of gaming technology, giving you a comprehensive overview of virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality.
What Are Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Mixed Reality?
Let’s start off with the basics.
- Virtual Reality: VR is a type of technology that creates a completely computer-generated environment that offers users a completely immersive and interactive experience by means of tools and hardware that allow you to feel as though you’re actually in the world.
- Augmented Reality: AR creates a combination of the real world and the imaginary by using the real-world environment and overlaying digital elements to enhance them.
- Mixed Reality: MR takes AR to a whole new level by extending the idea of merging the physical and digital worlds (as with AR) to actually allowing real (physical) and digital elements to interact.
So, if we put it really simply, VR is a completely imaginary world, AR merges the real world and your new imaginary world, and MR takes your combined physical and imaginary world and then allows the elements within it to interact with each other.
Virtual Reality
Believe it or not, virtual reality has actually been around for quite a while, with the idea coming to light as early as the late ‘60s. However, it wasn’t until far more recently that VR technology has been broadly accessible and open to the world, and now that it is, it’s taken the world by storm.
So, VR uses technology that creates a three-dimensional, computer-generated environment that users can interact with using specialized hardware and equipment. Most commonly, VR headsets – many people will argue that it was VR headsets that really made the world pay attention!
VR has taken the world of gaming to new heights, allowing people to have a far more immersive experience than ever before, as they can now engage with the virtual world around them. The experience is far more realistic (to speak) and it uses complex technology, including pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays in order to give users the best possible experience.
Augmented Reality
Augmented reality is often described as technology that takes virtual reality to the next level, and for good reason. While VR is the creation of a brand-new imaginary world, AR takes an existing environment and then overlays digital information to enhance the overall experience. The digital information that is overlayed can be things like 3D models, text, or images.
Unsurprisingly, AR technology has opened doors (and windows) for game developers and the tech world more generally, because it means that there are now just so many possibilities. Rather than creating an entirely new world from scratch, AR uses advanced technology to add to the world that already exists, and the result is that it enhances users’ experiences that they’re already having.
AR can be experienced by means of various types of hardware and devices, including things as basic as smartphones and tablets, or more brand-new technology in the form of augmented reality glasses and so forth.
One of the best and first examples of a major AR game that became incredibly popular due mostly to the use of AR technology was Pokémon Go. One of the reasons Pokémon Go did so well, according to many experts, was because it didn’t require fancy and expensive devices that normal people couldn’t afford. Rather, all you needed was to have a smartphone, download the game, and get playing!
Mixed Reality
Now, mixed reality is a concept that is still on the way to becoming popular, but it uses complex technology that goes beyond even augmented reality and its capabilities. In fact, more than just going beyond augmented and virtual reality, mixed reality overlays digital technology into the physical world, but it does so much more than that.
With augmented reality, you end up with a combination of physical virtual elements that exist within the real, physical environment, but the different elements can’t interact with each other. And that’s how mixed reality takes things one (big) step further.
Mixed reality uses complex and advanced technology to allow both virtual and physical objects to interact with each other in a way that’s never been possible in the past. This may sound like a small thing, but if you think about it and the possibilities it brings, it’s quite incredible. It means that you can have aspects of real life – objects or other types of elements – that can interact with imaginary elements that have been created and introduced by technology. It would make doing everything from studying or working to playing games at Lucky Creek casino more engaging and interactive than ever before.
The blend between the physical and digital worlds is absolutely seamless, which creates a far more realistic, engaging and immersive experience than you could possibly imagine, shrouded in a combination of reality and imagination.
Unsurprisingly, MR technology is used in the world of gaming to bring more and more incredible experiences to users. But it can also be used in professional environments, as well as the world of education. The possibilities of MR are seemingly endless!
