XR (extended reality) is a catch-all to refer to augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality (VR).
The experience is very different depending on the form:
- Augmented reality (AR), for example, makes it possible to place digital content in the analogue environment and to interact with it. The main technologies used are smartphones and tablets.
- In contrast, virtual reality (VR) offers complete immersion in a computer-simulated world. Using VR Head Mounted Displays (HMD), the senses of sight and hearing in particular are strongly integrated into the experience.
- Mixed reality (MR) is an umbrella term for all those XR technologies that combine the analog and digital worlds. MR can currently best be implemented using HMDs with transparent displays (such as the HoloLens or the Magic Leap) – however, VR HMDs are also increasingly enabling the integration of analog elements into the virtual world.