The technology is getting so advanced that it sometimes gets hard for people to keep up with the pace of development. But major companies in the sector are making it easier for us to be a part of the evolving world of the cutting edge technology. Virtual reality and augmented reality are among the evolving advancements and companies such as Samsung, Lenovo and Niantic are making efforts to present these technologies in a consumer-friendly manner.
We may not know it, but VR and AR - short for virtual reality and augmented reality, respectively - have become a part of our lives. Pokemon Go, the viral AR-based game launched in most countries around the world, will be remembered for breaking the ice to augmented reality. The mobile game, available for Android and iOS-based smartphones, has made a remarkable breakthrough in acquiring users and connecting them to enhanced gaming experience via AR.
Read: Pokemon Go release in India a mystery despite Niantic's growing fortunes
That's not it. Pokemon Go paved way for companies to use AR as an efficient marketing tool. Although, we witnessed Google Glass' AR tech first, the wearable's failure to reach the common people bridged a huge gap for users to experience augmented reality. Now, Snapchat is looking to build an AR headset, which superimposes virtual images into the real world (You would know if you have played Pokemon Go).
AR is indeed a strong tool and has a lot of opportunities. Its seamless integration between the real and virtual worlds is the key for its success and gives an edge over virtual reality.
Despite failing to popularise AR through Google Glass, we can thank the world's largest internet search provider for its Google Cardboard, the cheapest way to experience virtual reality. Several companies, such as Samsung and Lenovo followed the suit with affordable VR devices, but the requirement for having an additional piece of hardware to experience this tech is a tad inconvenient.
We have tried both VR and AR and found the latter's convenience to surpass the former tech. AR through Pokemon Go is easily accessible and simply requires you to take your smartphone out of the pocket and start playing. However, with virtual reality, the user is disconnected from the real world to experience the virtual one.
Now that both technologies have been introduced in their best forms, it is the consumer behaviour that will decide which one succeeds. AR can be useful in marketing, gaming and interactive and productive apps and hardware, while VR is currently featured in experiencing enhanced 3D virtual world and porn. Clearly, the Pokemon Go craze has pushed VR porn into the sideline, which is a strong way forward.
