AR & MR Basics

While VR fully replaces your view of the real world, Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) blend digital content with your physical environment. Together with VR they form the broader XR (Extended Reality) stack.

Understanding AR and MR opens up many new possibilities beyond fully virtual experiences — from placing virtual objects on your desk to interacting with digital content that feels anchored in the real world.

Key Differences

Augmented Reality (AR)

AR overlays digital objects on the real world. You still see your surroundings clearly, but virtual elements (like a 3D model, text, or game character) appear on top. Popular examples include Pokémon GO or furniture preview apps that let you see how a sofa would look in your living room.

Mixed Reality (MR)

MR goes further than AR. Digital objects can interact with the real world — they can be occluded by real furniture, cast shadows on your floor, or respond to real surfaces. On devices like the Meta Quest 3 or Apple Vision Pro, MR allows virtual objects to feel more “present” in your physical space.

Why Learn AR & MR?

AR/MR is often more practical for everyday use than full VR. It’s great for education, design, remote collaboration, maintenance training, and productivity tools. Many people find AR/MR more comfortable for longer sessions because they can still see the real world around them.

Getting Started with AR & MR

In Unity, you can use the same XR Interaction Toolkit and AR Foundation package to build for both AR and MR. Many projects start in VR and then add AR/MR modes so users can choose the experience that fits their environment best.

Common beginner projects include placing virtual objects on real surfaces, creating interactive AR markers, or building simple MR experiences where virtual characters walk around your actual room.

Quick Tip

Start simple. Try building a basic AR scene where you can place and move a 3D object on your real desk or floor. Test it on your phone first (using ARCore or ARKit) before moving to a headset. Pay attention to lighting and shadows — good alignment between virtual and real elements is what makes AR/MR feel convincing.

As you get more comfortable, you can explore combining AR with hand tracking or even integrating ML for better object recognition.

Helpful free resources to learn more:
• Unity AR Development Pathway
• Meta Horizon AR/MR Documentation