Have you ever heard of XR (Cross Reality), also known as Extended Reality? Many people have heard of VR and AR, but not XR, or have heard of the words but are not sure what they mean. In this article, we will introduce XR as one of the words you need to know as virtual worlds such as metaverse spaces and games using VR are becoming more and more common.
What is XR?
XR is a generic term for VR, AR, and other technologies that can provide new experiences by combining reality and virtual reality.
The technologies that comprise XR include the following:
- VR(Virtual Reality)
- AR(Augmented Reality)
- MR(Mixed Reality)
- SR(Substitutional Reality)
In terms of something familiar, applications using smartphones are classified as AR and are included in this XR category. By displaying information drawn by computer graphics in the real world through the screen of a smartphone, users can see a new world that they would not be able to see without the device.
The XR also includes the aforementioned experiences in metaverse spaces and games using VR goggles, etc. VR is a new experience with a stronger sense of immersion, as a complete virtual world opens up before your eyes when you wear goggles or other devices. In this VR space, some things that require actual body movements by using a hand controller, a device that tracks hand movements, allowing for a more realistic experience in the virtual space.
XR Application Examples
XR encompasses a variety of technologies, among which services using AR technology on smartphones have become common due to the widespread use of smartphones. It is no longer unusual for AR to be used in games and photo applications, and it is now also used in word-of-mouth confirmation applications that also serve as marketing measures. “MUGHEN,” a smartphone application developed by ALAKI Co., Ltd. and ALAKI XR Co., Ltd., is equipped with a function that allows users to read the barcode of a product in the real world to display reviews and other information on the product in AR space. By using this function, users can seamlessly view and post product reviews simply by reading the barcode of the product in front of them.
By combining the drawing of the virtual world with the real world in this way, marketing, including word-of-mouth diffusion of products, can be performed more conveniently as a new experience.
Future of XR
As the development of devices related to XR progresses, not only smartphones but also VR goggles and holo-lenses are gradually being released and made readily available at prices individuals can afford. In addition to the aforementioned AR applications, the environment surrounding XR is beginning to be used in a variety of ways, including product sales events and exhibitions in the VR space. With this trend, the market using XR is expected to expand further, and many large companies, including Meta, are entering this field. In the future, marketing techniques for the XR industry will become an essential corporate activity.