XR at a Glance

What is XR?

Immersive technology (XR) is the umbrella term used to encompass Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR) and other forms of alternate, expanded, or immersive reality applications, including those not yet invented. At the XR Association, we use [X] in XR as a stand-in for [A]R, [V]R and [M]R.

XRA is leading the way for the responsible development and adoption of XR by convening stakeholders, developing best practices and research, and advocating on behalf of our members and the greater XR industry.

Healthcare

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believe AR and VR will positively affect the healthcare industry

Manufacturing

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of manufacturing decision makers are already using XR once a week or more.

Healthcare

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agree that XR increases student engagement and motivation

Types of XR Technology

Virtual reality (VR): Immerses users in fully simulated, 3D environments such as a foreign destination, a virtual lecture hall, or a video game. This technology typically requires headsets to incorporate multiple senses, such as 360-degree vision, hearing, and touch..

Augmented reality (AR): Layers computer-generated imagery onto a user’s view of the real world, thus providing a composite view. Devices like smartphones, tablets, and AR glasses allow applications in retail, navigation and construction.

Mixed reality (MR): Blends augmented and virtual reality, allowing digital objects to coexist and interact with the physical world in real time. In mixed reality, a user might place a 3D image of a sofa in their living room, as they could in AR, but also turn, reposition, resize, or otherwise adjust the image to explore different views and angles.

How Has XR Evolved to Date?

XR remains in the early stages of the innovation timeline, with early adopters and enterprise users scratching the surface of the technology’s possible applications. Since its early introduction, XR applications have expanded beyond gaming into industries like healthcare, education, manufacturing and retail.

Timeline

XR in Action

Whether it’s virtual, augmented or mixed, immersive technologies are expanding their capabilities to upscale industries and improve workflows, training, and user engagement.

While XR can be integrated across manufacturing, education, entertainment and more.

Education

Immersive learning environments are transforming traditional classrooms and lesson plans by transporting students to completely different places and times. Teens & students are utilizing AR, VR and MR to engage with experiential learning and learn at their own pace.

Examples

QuiverVision’s Quiver Education app allows teachers to bring concepts to life with AR experiences that work in tandem with real-world coloring book exercises. The app helps students better understand concepts across subjects such as biology, geometry and more.
A mixed-reality curriculum created by Microsoft and Pearson uses HoloLens and Windows Mixed Reality headsets to immerse students in subject areas including health, history, chemistry and math

Healthcare

In operating rooms and training centers alike, XR is giving healthcare professionals a new lens—one that allows them to practice procedures before ever picking up a scalpel, visualize veins before inserting an IV, or see a patient’s anatomy layered before them in three dimensions. It’s not just about precision—it’s about compassion, efficiency, and life-saving insight.

Examples

VR offers experiential surgical education, helping surgeons increase their skill level. A study from UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine saw a 230% boost in overall performance in tibial intramedullary nailing, a procedure to repair a fractured tibia, among VR-trained surgeons relative to their traditionally trained counterparts.
AccuVein developed an AR imaging device that allows health care professionals to see a map of peripheral veins on the skin’s surface. This device has increased successful IV insertions on the first try.

Manufacturing

Gone are the days of building dozens of physical prototypes to perfect a design. In today’s factories and design studios, XR is the new blueprint—letting engineers step inside their ideas, test complex assemblies, and bring bold visions to life with unprecedented speed. It’s innovation, streamlined and reimagined.

Examples

VR can spare manufacturers from developing countless physical prototypes by allowing the creation of interactive virtual models. Ford Motor company is working with Gravity Sketch, a 3D VR tool that enables designers to create more human-centric vehicle designs – obviating the need for the 2D design stage and speeding the product design process from weeks to hours. Shifting to a VR design model could revolutionize the entire process by drastically reducing development time and allowing for more 3D representations in the evaluation stage.
As the lead contractor for NASA’s Orion spacecraft, Lockheed Martin uses AR to increase production efficiency and quality, rather than spending a week on the complex assembly process. Technicians wearing AR glasses can finish the same process, with fewer errors, in less than one day.

Public Safety

Every second matters when lives are on the line—and XR is helping first responders see, think, and act faster. Whether it’s a police officer walking through a high-stakes scenario in VR or a firefighter seeing through smoke with AR overlays, immersive tech is sharpening instincts and saving lives before danger strikes.

Examples

Law enforcement is vital to the health and wellbeing of our communities, but police encounters can be stressful and complicated, putting both officers and civilians at risk. VR is helping police officers hone the skills needed to de-escalate tense situations. By virtually putting officers in the shoes of their subjects, VR facilitates a perspective shift, imparting an understanding of how officers’ body language and chosen commands influence outcomes. These skills can be particularly impactful in situations involving subjects living with psychiatric or cognitive disorders. Through VR training, officers can learn to identify behavioral symptoms, understand how those symptoms might affect a subject’s experience, and determine how best to proceed.
An extended reality (XR) training system, developed by VirTra, is designed to enhance law enforcement officers’ decision-making skills. The system offers immersive scenarios that focus on de-escalation techniques and judgmental use-of-force training, aiming to improve officers’ responses in high-pressure situations.

Accessibility

For someone with limited mobility, XR can open up the world—from climbing snowy peaks to dancing again. For those who are blind or hard of hearing, AR can transform everyday interactions with real-time guidance or sign language translation. These technologies don’t just entertain—they empower, unlocking new levels of freedom and connection.

Examples

For users with limited mobility, VR’s ever-expanding range of sights and sounds can mean the ability to explore caves, play sports, and summit mountains. In VR, a once-avid skier living with mobility impairments can virtually reconnect with the thrill of the sport.
HaptX is developing specialized haptic gloves that deliver detailed physical sensations in response to virtual objects. This feedback helps blind and low-vision users gain spatial awareness, interact with their environments and even perform technical tasks in VR.

Workforce Development:

Step into a job site without ever leaving the classroom. With XR, learning a new trade means more than reading a manual—it means doing the work, seeing the process, and making mistakes without real-world consequences. Whether training truck technicians or factory floor workers, XR is bringing careers within reach.

Examples

Interactive AR training helped PBC Linear reduce the training time for new machinists from three weeks to just three days. In partnership with Taqtile, PBC Linear created the Manifest AR platform, which accelerates onboarding and ensures consistency across their manufacturing operations.
For many learners, reading about a job isn’t enough — they need to experience it for themselves. Transfr is helping bridge the experience gap by placing users directly inside simulated career environments. Whether it’s welding, healthcare or logistics, these immersive modules offer hands-on training that builds confidence and muscle memory before stepping into a real workplace.

Gaming & Entertainment

From living room stages to virtual battlefields, XR is dissolving the line between the screen and reality. Fans can now walk through live concerts, gamers can leap into alternate worlds, and creators can build stories that surround the senses. It’s entertainment without limits—where the only boundary is your imagination.

Examples

LiveNation is merging physical and digital realms for a more immersive fan experience by integrating AR into live events. Music fans can now access 3D views of performances by pointing their device at flat surfaces, bringing the stage into their personal space. Virtual tours of iconic venues like the House of Blues allow audiences to explore concert halls from anywhere.
“Batman: Arkham Shadow” immerses players in Gotham City through VR, allowing them to embody the Dark Knight in a fully interactive environment. The game features physical combat mechanics, detective investigations and a narrative that responds to player choices. It’s a prime example of how VR can deepen storytelling and gameplay in established franchises.