AR AND MR BETTER THAN VR SEE THEIR DIFFERNCE (FUTURE TECHNOLGY)

Learn more about this landscape and the requirements for a computing system that can handle the demands of these new, immersive experiences.1

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO EXPLORE VR, AR, AND MR?

1. 1
   Research headsets; VR, AR and MR capabilities; and requirements of the hardware and software.
2. 2
   Determine if your current computer system can handle the load.
3. 3
   If it can’t, decide on a desktop or laptop that meets recommended requirements and has a high-performing CPU.
4. 4
   Ensure the computer, the headset, and the game will all work well together.

The border between the virtual and
real world continues to break down,
providing breathtaking experiences
 that, a short time ago, could only be
 found in the imagination of sci-fi
writers.

Virtual Reality (VR) has been the
“next big thing” for several years,
but its time has finally come as a way
 to generate realistic images, sounds,
 and other sensations that put you
smack in the middle of a spectacular
imaginary world. Augmented Reality
 (AR), which adds virtual stuff to
your real world environment, is
contributing to the buzz, and both
technologies should become a big
part of our future. With Mixed
Reality (MR), you can play a virtual
video game, grab your real world
water bottle, and smack an imaginary
 character from the game with the
bottle. Imagination and reality have
never been so intermingled.

So much is happening so fast that the
 differences between VR, AR, and
 MR can seem a little puzzling at first.
 Each of these spellbinding
technologies are accessible to almost
 everyone, but before you throw down
 your hard-earned money for the latest
 head-mounted display, let’s take a
closer look at what you’ll need for an
amazing VR, AR, or MR experience.

The History and Future of Virtual 
Reality
We’ve been trying to capture
“Virtual Reality” for much longer
than just the past five to ten years.
There were popular peer-through
toys in the 1950s and enclosed flight
 simulators debuted in the 1960s, but
the idea of VR goes back even further.

As early as the 1930s, science fiction
writers, inventors, and tinkerers
dreamt of an environment where you
could escape from reality via art and
machines. We were weighing
questions about Virtual Reality vs.
Augmented Reality vs. Mixed Reality
long before we had the technology to
 make them possible.

Technology has caught up to fiction,
and market researchers predict rapid
growth for the VR industry.

VR and AR Meet MR
First things first, let’s define the
terminology. Virtual Reality can be
used as an umbrella term to describe
other technologies similar to, but
 different from, an actual Virtual
Reality experience. But what's the
difference between Augmented Reality
 and Mixed Reality? Here are some
more details:

Virtual Reality
VR is the most widely known of these
 technologies. It is fully immersive,
which tricks your senses into thinking
 you’re in a different environment or
world apart from the real world. Using
a head-mounted display (HMD) or
headset, you’ll experience a computer
-generated world of imagery and sounds
 in which you can manipulate objects
and move around using haptic
controllers while tethered to a console
or PC.

Augmented Reality
AR overlays digital information on
real-world elements. Pokémon GO* is
among the best-known examples.
Augmented reality keeps the real world
 central but enhances it with other
digital details, layering new strata of
 perception, and supplementing your
reality or environment.

Mixed Reality
MR brings together real world and
digital elements. In mixed reality, you
interact with and manipulate both
physical and virtual items and
environments, using next-generation
sensing and imaging technologies.
Mixed Reality allows you to see and
immerse yourself in the world around
you even as you interact with a virtual
environment using your own hands—
all without ever removing your headset.
 It provides the ability to have one foot
 (or hand) in the real world, and the
other in an imaginary place, breaking
down basic concepts between real and
imaginary, offering an experience that
can change the way you game and work
 today.

Using Virtual Reality Technologies
From gaming, to movies, to medicine,
the uses for Virtual Reality, Augmented
 Reality, and Mixed Reality are
expanding.

• Healthcare—For training, 

          such as for surgical simulations

• Film and TV—For movies

          and shows to create unique 

          experiences

• Virtual travel—For virtual 

          trips to an art museum—or 

          another planet—all from home

• Professional sports—For 

          training programs like STRIVR 

          to help pro and amateur athletes

• Gaming—For over 1,000 

           games already available, 

           from first-person shooters to 

           strategy games to role-playing 

           adventures

What You’ll Need: Headsets
There are many, many VR headsets
available, all with varying performance
 levels and prices. Entry-level gear,
such as Google Cardboard*, uses your
mobile phone as the screen, whereas PC
-operated devices, like the HTC Vive*
or Oculus Rift*, are immersive—
providing a premium VR environment.
 Microsoft has recently announced their
Windows* 10 Mixed Reality platform
that initially uses fully immersive headset
s offered by Acer, Asus, Dell, HP,
Lenovo and Samsung.

Some AR headsets are available on the
market today, with more rumored to be
coming in the future. The Microsoft Holo
lens*, Google Glass*, and the Meta 2*
headset are great examples.

Every PC-connected HMD will have
different system requirements, so if you’
re buying a new Virtual Reality headset,
 make sure you check with the HMD
vendor for their recommended and
minimum system requirements.

What You’ll Need: Computers
If you are looking for a new computer
and you’re interested in VR, you’ll need
 something that can handle heavy loads.
 When it comes to high-end desktops or
 laptops for Virtual Reality (and other
 advanced tasks like gaming or video
editing), the CPU, GPU, and memory are
 the most critical components.

Without these high-performing
components working in sync, you could
have a pretty miserable experience. A
powerful system will ensure that you’ll
 have fun as you lean in, stand up, or
walk around. VR that lags makes it
impossible for the virtual world to
 respond as you expect, which can lead
 to more than just disappointment; it
 increases the risk of motion sickness.

A high-end processor assists in positional
 tracking and controls how real and
immersive your virtual environment will
be, so you'll enjoy a deeper experience in
 a higher-fidelity environment. For a
 great VR experience, consider the latest
 generation Intel Core™ i7 processor.

A discrete graphics processing unit
(GPU) is recommended, or in the case of
 Oculus Rift*, HTC Vive*, and Windows
 Mixed Reality Ultra*, it is required. The
 GPU is responsible for rendering the
 high resolution, immersive images
 needed for VR. Oculus, HTC, and
Microsoft all have profiler tools that you
can download from their websites, and
you can use to run on your PC to
determine if it meets the minimum
requirements for their VR headsets.

Choose Your Experience
New VR and AR technologies and
products continue to come to market,
making new environments accessible to
 the masses. Virtual, Augmented, Mixed
—the choice for a new reality is up to
you. Let your imagination, and your
 readiness to try new gear, enhance your
 experience!

Key VR Terms to Know
Use this chart to learn more VR terms
and definitions.

Term	Description	Why It Matters
Frames per second (FPS)	Frequency at which a system can display consecutive images, or frames	Without a high and constant frame rate (greater than 60 FPS), the motion won’t look right, and you could even feel sick
Field of view	The angle of the observable world that can be seen	If the window of view is too narrow, you could end up making unnatural head rotations
Degrees of Freedom (DoF)	The number of directions that an object can move or rotate. The six degrees of freedom are pitch, roll, yaw, left and right, forward and backward, up and down	More DoFs allow you to move more naturally in VR
Latency	The amount of time it takes a system to react/respond to movements or commands	Latency is critical when it comes to the presence inside Virtual Reality—if the system doesn’t respond instantly, it doesn’t feel real.