Augmented reality glasses generally work like regular glasses with superpowers, enhancing an unobstructed view of the real world with an overlay of virtual elements. Virtual reality headsets, on the other hand, traditionally block out the real world altogether and instead immerse their wearers in virtual spaces displayed on small screens.
AR glasses won’t be ready for consumers for years to come, as they will require breakthrough innovations in optics, batteries and chip design. Until those arrive, VR headsets with mixed-reality pass-through video feeds are the next best thing.
2. Mixed-reality headsets will alleviate one of VR’s chief pain points by allowing wearers to deftly switch between immersive reality and their real-world environment. 3. Mixed-reality headsets will enable a new class of immersive content experiences not possible on existing, fully immersive VR headsets.