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UX Design: Why AR will beat VR
A cautionary tale of usability, and why for the foreseeable future AR will beat VR in the marketplace.
Overview
As we swiftly move into a future where augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality are the norm, a prudent question arises: which technology is going to come out on top?
While AR and VR share many aspects, and are similar in certain areas, they are absolutely not the same, and today I want to share with you a cautionary tale of usability, and why for the foreseeable future AR will beat VR in the marketplace.
The fundamental problem with VR
Long story short, the problem VR has far less to do with technological feasibility, and far more to do with the hardware interface itself.
Having a device strapped to your face is far from an ideal user experience.
There are a good number of users who are early adopters of VR, but outside of heavy tech applications, learning, or gaming, the chances of widespread adoption of regular-usage headsets is relatively low, and I’m not the only one who thinks so.
They’re bulky, cumbersome, and don’t really provide much more of an advantage to just looking at your screen.
Why AR has the upper hand
Speaking of looking at your screen, this is where AR has the potential to be a game-changer.
Instead of having to wear an external device, users can hold their device in their hand, and look through their phone’s screen as a view-port. Any and all content can be superimposed onto the environment, no headset required, and it uses an approach that is already familiar to the users.
