Among the multiple tech innovations that are disrupting the world today, extended reality technologies — Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Augmented Reality (AR) — are showing awe-inspiring growth. VR and AR have already gone far beyond the gaming sector and are successfully integrated into a range of industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, eCommerce, construction, real estate, and education.
Top 10 Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality & Virtual Reality Trends for 2022
In addition, Virtual Reality technologies enable companies to create safer employee environments, enhanced customer experiences, and more productive processes. AR/MR/VR predictions for the future are even brighter. This article focuses on the XR trends to watch in 2022 and the next few years.
Augmented, Mixed, and Virtual Reality Trends 2022
Virtual Reality innovation has created incredible growth opportunities for businesses around the globe. With an enormous market to tap into, integrating extending reality experiences is sure to provide a competitive edge across multiple industries. Here are the top 10 digital trends shaping the XR industry in 2022.
1. Implementation of AI and ML in the development of Virtual Reality products
Extended reality developers have already started to implement artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in the virtual environment. Using these cutting-edge technologies has resulted in the emergence of computer vision, which enables devices to recognize everything within a camera’s range. Although this function looks nothing unique or innovative today, it is expected to get more sophisticated next year.
2. The arrival of space-age AR/VR headsets
As it develops, immersive technology requires more advanced devices to provide users with Virtual Reality experiences; for example, the AR Magic Leap headsets project digital 3D items on top of the real world. One of the most confident VR future predictions indicates that the much-anticipated VR headsets will be available for the masses in 2022. They will provide top-notch XR experiences, with revolutionary face and eye-tracking features and superior quality full-color video.
3. VR and AR will keep on disrupting the retail sector
The major players are already leveraging the benefits of Virtual Reality in the retail market. This is undoubtedly one of the Virtual Reality trends to see even more substantial growth in 2022. Retail companies will extensively use immersive technologies for staff training, for instance, implement VR technology to train their teams to manage seemingly endless queues and crowded stores. What is more, AR will be widely used to improve the customer’s in-store experience. AR navigation apps will offer users smart AR routing through advanced programming language features, which will include building an optimized shopping route and showing the exact location of any product. Virtual showrooms are among other outstanding industry trends. A virtual showroom transforms an empty room into a digital world, enabling consumers to examine distinct products with the help of VR glasses.
In addition, VR will benefit the eCommerce business landscape by boosting customer loyalty associated with a superb online shopping customer experience. Online shopping is predicted to become more accessible due to virtual stores. For instance, clothing and shoe stores will let the customers shop conveniently and make more informed purchase decisions due to the virtual fitting rooms integrated into a VR store.
4. Interactive user manuals will trend
In 2022 and beyond, interactive user manuals are predicted to see dramatic growth. They definitely help companies provide positive customer experiences, especially with the products that require training, for example, a coffee machine. Although it sounds incredible, the concept behind an interactive user manual is relatively simple: consumers utilize AR technology to scan the item and access a virtual walkthrough of the product to learn how to start and use it.
5. Immersive experiences will create more opportunities for the automotive industry
A year ago, Mercedes announced an intelligent heads-up display in its electric EQS sedan. With a range of other valuable functions, the display projects the car’s speed and direction onto the windshield and its distance from the preceding vehicle. Other global automotive industry leaders also intend to integrate augmented reality technology into their vehicles in the near future.
6. Increasing impact on the education sector
Although the world realized the AR and VR’s benefits to teaching and training during the COVID lockdown, this is undoubtedly one of the Virtual Reality trends to stay in post-pandemic times. Fair enough, as the XR technologies allow learners to visualize environments and items they can’t access in the conventional learning conditions, experience experiential learning, and conceptual understanding. For example, Google Expeditions allows learners to virtually visit world-class museums and national parks. Quality VR content enables teaching and training in a highly accurate simulated environment that allows trainees to practice tasks in real-time, enhancing their skills and efficiency.
7. Decreased cost for better value
As the AR and VR market evolves, the quality of the developments is constantly rising. Plus, compared to the first, low-quality XR products that were hardly affordable, costs went down. Along with other top trends, this virtual reality market trend is expected to develop in the future.
8. Transforming the digital marketing landscape
Needless to say that XR technologies allow consumer brands to strengthen their marketing strategies by using immersive content. Unlike the conventional still images, AR and VR technology provides viewers with unique experiences, opening up exciting business opportunities both for traditional stores and online brands. Not to mention, VR has become one of the key trends in real estate marketing — this technology allows potential buyers to explore homes under development like in VR games.
9. VR will go on dominating the gaming sector
Let’s look at numbers: 47% of downloads of the Apple ARKit framework, which allows creating apps for iPhone and iPad based around AR, were used for video games. The gaming sector remains heavily invested in the VR and AR market. However, since the XR technology is getting more prominent across other industries, the gaming sector’s share is likely to drop in the following few years.
10. Mobile AR will evolve
As the world has already gone mobile, there’s no wonder that mobile AR will be one of the growing Augmented and Virtual Reality trends in 2022 and beyond. AR capable smartphones eliminate the need to use headsets; they are portable and easy, which allows for super convenient user experiences.
AR/MR/VR Trends 2022: final thoughts
From entertainment, eCommerce stores, effective platforms for training and education, healthcare and manufacturing, extended reality technology is transforming the way these industries operate and drive business growth. It’s safe to say that Virtual and Augmented Reality won’t go away anytime soon; instead, the tech will continue successfully evolving over the years to come.
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