Mainstream AR: Slowly Cooking

Mainstream AR is Slow Cooking. While the general belief is that the future of the metaverse hinges on the adoption and maturation of Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) is more likely the way it becomes real for most people in the near future. AR is a much more democratized technology which creators can use to generate their own experiences far more easily than they can with VR.

With so many devices able to display AR, its penetration and growth is far greater than any other immersive tech. Snapchat has been the undisputed leader in social AR tech but we are seeing huge advances within TikTok and the Meta ecosystems. There is also much talk about Mixed Reality (MR) and Extended Reality (XR) which creates a ‘digital twin world’ engaging all our senses.

But they are a long way off becoming mainstream. Immersive formats and metaverse experiences are gaining traction. Yet, mass adoption is not for tomorrow.

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