AR vs VR

Difficulty Index ★★★☆☆

Alice Yoo '27

Augmented and virtual reality are two of the most significant technological trends in 2024 or even the 21st century. The two terms are familiar to many people through entertainment purposes, like games or simulations. My first interaction with VR was in a new VR World near my house around 2018. I remember being completely enthralled as I put on the heavy VR headset, which seemed like a wonder of sophisticated technological advancement, and saw a completely new world. I had been exposed to AR long before realizing its existence, from navigation systems to beauty camera apps. That explained how I didn’t know the difference between AR and VR–I mean, they’re both “fake reality,” right?

That is only partially correct. For the case of VR, the statement may apply as its setting is completely virtual. Simply, your current location does not matter. In contrast, AR is based on a real-life setting, suggesting your physical location matters. Another explanation would be this: you specifically need a VR headset to use virtual reality, but you can use your smartphone to use AR. Some examples of VR include the Playstation VR 2 or VR rollercoasters. Most experiences not only involve a VR headset but also a headphone in an attempt to change the real setting to a virtual setting. An example of AR you might be most familiar with could be camera filters on smartphones, from the beauty filters on social media to the screen on Pokemon Go, in which the Pokemon seems to be standing in the place your phone camera is filming. 

As much as they differ in significant measures, they each have their pros and cons. Augmented reality often has easier accessibility since it can be utilized with smartphones, which the majority of the population possesses. This means that a wider audience would easily be attracted to use it as it doesn’t require additional purchases. Since it mainly uses smartphones as its device, it would be easier for people to use compared to using a new technology device. This is why many companies utilize AR for advertisement purposes; in 2023, Coca-Cola started an interactive AR experience that generates a screen, in which the audience could grab the Coca-Cola Zero Sugar bottle, along with a QR Code that gifted users a voucher to receive a free bottle in a nearby Tesco. Furthermore, AR is a better fit for spreading practical and real-life information as it combines the real setting and the virtual aspects. For instance, IKEA allowed users to see how furniture looked like in their home before purchase, promoting their products by giving more certainty to customers.

Nonetheless, as much as AR is mixed with the real world, many services are aimed towards customers using them while they are outside. This suggests that dangerous situations could occur if users aren’t aware of their surrounding environment. This was an issue with Pokemon Go because it caused accidents from minor injuries to even deaths. In 2016, it was discovered that 150,000 car accidents and 256 deaths were linked to the usage of Pokemon Go in just 148 days. Additionally, although not one of the prominent issues, AR can be threatened by hacker attacks as they could expose private information. Using Pokemon Go, there was a concern among users as the app enabled users to capture their homes or destinations around their house, which could reveal their address. 

Virtual reality allows the user to immerse themselves into a completely different virtual world. Possibilities are endless and anything can be made possible in the world through computer-generated images (CGI), meaning that people can experiment with different aspects in VR. Therefore, designers, especially those who design automobiles, have started using this tool to allow more detailed and refined sketches of their products with advanced 3D imaging software. It also helps the efficiency of designing with its symmetric tool, which mirrors the lines drawn by the designers. The material or the color of the automobile can be easily changed without much effort as well. VR can also create a mesmerizing sensory experience, which is appealing to those who seek new changes in entertainment. This appeal in entertainment has allowed VR’s application to education. In fact, this technology can be used by students for virtual field trips, where they can transverse the bounds of time and distance to be in the Roman Empire, for instance. Another usage in education involves firefighters in Australia. Without putting themselves into hazardous situations, they trained in situations that were life-like, which could support their professionalism and efficiency in emergencies. 

Despite these benefits, implementing virtual reality in real life may be extremely costly. Consequently, the costs of products and services are high, which can discourage customers from purchasing. Those who want a high-quality VR headset may have to pay over $1000, which is not a small amount of money. There are health risks correlated to VR, such as eyestrain, nausea, blurred vision, and disorientation. Lengthened sessions of VR are not recommended and taking breaks in between is necessary. Although there needs to be further research about the psychological impacts of VR on humans, a study in 2014 at the University of California revealed that when rats were placed in virtual reality, over half of the neurons in their brains ceased activity and the brain functioned differently in spatial learning. 

Both augmented reality and virtual reality are valuable advancements in the modern world, allowing concepts that were previously only imagined to come to real life. There are still more developments that can be made to these systems and more areas these tools can be applied to, but there needs to be awareness of the possible short and long-term negative effects they could have.

Works Cited

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Azurdy, Jorge, and Flávia Negrão. "Virtual and Augmented Reality: Pros and Cons." Encora, 5 June 2020, www.encora.com/insights/virtual-and-augmented-reality-pros-and-cons/. Accessed 13 July 2024.

Bavane, Sujit. "Which Situation Demonstrates an Example of Augmented Reality?" SDLC Corporation, 28 Feb. 2023, sdlccorp.com/post/which-situation-demonstrates-an-example-of-augmented-reality/. Accessed 13 July 2024.

"Coca‑Cola Zero Sugar Launches First-of-its-kind, Interactive Augmented Reality Giveaway Campaign Inviting Fans to '#TakeATaste Now.'" Coca-Cola Great Britain, 25 Sept. 2023, www.coca-cola.com/gb/en/media-center/coca-cola-zero-sugar-takeatastenow-campaign. Accessed 13 July 2024.

Greenwald, Will. "Augmented Reality (AR) vs. Virtual Reality (VR): What's the Difference?" PC Magazine, 6 June 2023, www.google.com/url?q=https://www.pcmag.com/news/augmented-reality-ar-vs-virtual-reality-vr-whats-the-difference&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1720802248977180&usg=AOvVaw2qJBL2rXFScvLzUQpmE9-q. Accessed 13 July 2024.

Griffin, Ben. "This New Virtual Reality Tool Could Transform How We Design Cars." CNN, 17 Sept. 2018, edition.cnn.com/style/article/seymourpowell-virtual-reality-car-design/index.html. Accessed 13 July 2024.

Kaur, Gurpreet. "AR and VR Advantages and Disadvantages." BigOh Tech, bigohtech.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-ar-and-vr/. Accessed 13 July 2024.

"What's the Difference between AR and VR?" Tulane University School of Professional Advancement, sopa.tulane.edu/blog/whats-difference-between-ar-and-vr#:~:text=AR%20uses%20a%20real%2Dworld,only%20enhances%20a%20fictional%20reality. Accessed 13 July 2024.