Technology Encyclopedia Home >What’s the difference between augmented reality and virtual reality?

What’s the difference between augmented reality and virtual reality?

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are both immersive technologies but differ in their approach and application.

Augmented Reality enhances the real world by adding virtual elements or information, creating an interactive overlay. Users can still see their environment, but it is enriched with digital images, data, or animations. For example, when using a smartphone with AR capabilities to play a game, you might see a dinosaur in your living room through the camera view.

Virtual Reality, on the other hand, creates a completely artificial environment that users can interact with. It typically involves wearing a headset that blocks out the real world and presents a simulated environment. For instance, in VR, you could take a virtual tour of a museum or go skydiving without leaving your home.

In the context of cloud computing, services like Tencent Cloud offer robust platforms for developing and deploying AR and VR applications, providing the necessary computational power and storage solutions to handle the demands of these technologies.