The 7 Biggest AR and VR Trends You Need To Watch Out For In 2022

The past decade held immense changes to the world with the constant emergence of new technologies it has witnessed and the greater is yet to come. Although tech developers have been tirelessly working in the past few years on improving XR experiences, this year is expected to witness a revolutionary crossing-bridge towards far more advanced features and realities.

Therefore, the biggest and most effective investment businesspeople can now make is integrating virtual and augmented reality accessibility into their sector as their global market size is predicted to reach $38 billion by 2026 . To help you better understand this year’s tech status, we compiled a list of the top 7 AR and VR trends you need to watch for in 2022.

1.VR and AR will change the educational and training system

It took us a global pandemic to realize how easier, more effective, faster, and safer digital learning and working can be. It is crucial to adapt to the current situation to keep going and this year is the one that will witness the most change in this industry.

Introducing VR and AR technologies to this sector will result in a better growing and learning process as it will help individuals immerse themselves in the information they are exposed to. In other words, they will not solely act as receptors of dry messages. They will have a chance to experience lessons and pieces of training by envisioning and picturing them. This will enable an increasing chance of better understanding, grasping, and retaining information. The learning process will no longer be just theoretical but also leaps to becoming a more practical one as well.

This will enable an increasing chance of better understanding, grasping, and retaining information. The learning process will no longer be just theoretical but also leaps to becoming a more practical one as well.

2.VR headsets will be produced in masses

This year is going to be the time in which we are close to starting living virtually. The educational and training system mentioned earlier is one in a sea of industries that will include VR and AR technologies in their sector, and headsets are crucial to hop on this futuristic concept. Witnessing a mass production of VR headsets in 2022 is not farfetched as they are predicted to become devices used by everyone just like mobiles are.

What aided in accelerating the production of VR headsets is the announcement Mark Zuckerberg made about the rebranding of Facebook into Meta and the creation of the new Metaverse. The tech giant, along with a few other companies such as Google, Microsoft, and Apple already started investing billions of dollars in building the most advanced and qualitative VR headsets, hardware, and software.

3.AR will change the way we shop online

Just when we thought online shopping has become an easier and faster process than in-store experience, AR stepped in to make it even easier and more effective. As much as we would like to think that shopping for products and services online is practical, we cannot disregard the fact that what we order might sometimes not fit, size, or even meet our expectations in real life. This is where AR steps in to solve this issue. These technologies will now more than ever create an engaging and immersive shopping experience that satisfies the wants and needs of consumers and clear their pain points. Integrating Augmented Reality on eCommerce websites allows customers to indulge in a try-before-you-buy procedure during their online purchase.

This opportunity not only feels more practical and effective for buyers but it also results in a 94% higher conversion rate , helping businesses reach their sales goals. Going further, in-store customers can also benefit from VR and AR since many businesses have already started to work on virtual mirrors for try-on purposes. In the ever-evolving and fast-paced world we live in, this saves time and effort when going out shopping. In addition, tech developers are now ready to launch a new concept that displays feedback and reviews on products when in-store to take into consideration before buying them.

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4.AR will be merged with Artificial Intelligence (AI)

As widely known, artificial intelligence is the ability of machines fed with data to do what humans can do but at a faster scale and more efficiently. Now imagine what wonders AI could do when combined with Augmented Reality. The result of pairing them together is one of the most interesting and advanced in the industry. It allows profound neural networks by replacing traditional approaches and implementing advanced features such as scene labeling, object detection, and text analysis. Once again, this shows how new technologies are helping us immerse, interact, and engage with our surroundings whether they are people, situations, objects, systems, etc.

5.AR will continue to develop in the automotive industry

Self-driving cars was always a concept we thought would be impossible to reach. However, with every new technology created, we are getting closer and closer to that. Even though very few are already manufactured, new upgraded features continue to appear with every new car model for now thanks to the ongoing development of AR. For instance, Mercedes is a leader in adding sophisticated AR-based features to its cars.

New vehicles manufactured now can show you the distance between your car and the one in front of you and notify you when you are getting off your lane or when you are close to arriving at an intersection. Without Augmented Reality, none of these ultra-modern features would have existed. This shows how essential AR is nowadays to ensure our safety and security, as well as to lead an easier and more practical, and efficient way of living.

6.AR and VR will play a role in developing the Metaverse

The word Metaverse has been heard on repeat lately by people and the mass media. However, it is not a new concept that emerged overnight. It has been there for quite a long time and most recently, some elements of it are found in the gaming industry (Minecraft, Fortnite, World of Warcraft, etc.). So what exactly is the Metaverse? In simple terms, it is a 3D virtual place where people can connect and socialize and is mainly based on advanced AR, VR, and video technologies. These components are the reason behind people’s ability to virtually hold business meetings for instance or studying, shopping, attending concerts, and much more exceptional activities. Augmented reality is responsible for immersing virtual objects into real life and VR is used to develop 3D computer modeling to engage in a unique virtual space.

You can think of the Metaverse as an experience, a replication of the physical world that eases communications and networks, enhancing the real presence feeling. Even though incredible amounts of money are being poured into developing 5G, VR, and AR technologies to make the Metaverse a thing, creators will have to solve many issues standing in their way. This year, more than ever, tremendous effort are being put into this, and hopefully, the full vision of the Metaverse sees light soon.

7.AR NFTs will become a widespread phenomena

Let’s start by defining what an NFT actually is as it might still sound confusing to some. In simple terms, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are digital assets existing on the blockchain proving ownership of any digital object, be it virtual or physical. Unlike cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Binance Coin, etc.) that can be replaced or exchanged for the same value, NFTs are extremely unique and scarce that they cannot be so. No two are identical. Interestingly enough, they can represent literally anything you can think of: physical art, photographs, tweets, essays, in-game items, videos, music, etc.

When augmented reality and non-fungible tokens intertwine, these art pieces and moments representations are elevated to enable their visualization in an environment. To frame it in other words, AR is giving the chance for people to immerse themselves in a 3D experience of NFTs. This phenomenon is exceptional as it eases the selling, buying, and accessibility to NFTs, all while rewarding the initial creator like artists, auctioneers, and commerce retailers.

Bottom line:

In today’s digital world, there is no escape from augmented reality and virtual reality. They provide companies with more benefits, privileges, and revenues in the easiest ways possible, as well as earn them customer loyalty and satisfaction. That said, it is never too late for organizations to invest in AR and VR as they are guaranteed to lead them a successful road.