The best AR offerings on the market today 

Augmented Reality (AR) is one of the hottest trends in tech development of the past decade. Unlike Virtual Reality, which places the user into a computer-generated world, AR places digital overlays onto the real world.

Also unlike VR, AR programs often only require a smartphone - this makes it much more accessible. VR programs and games tend to require a costly headset and controls, which can be a major barrier for most people. Since AR is so much more accessible, it allows a greater number of people to experience these amazing developments.

For many people, unfortunately, the only AR they are familiar with is in mobile games. The most popular AR game was a sort of scavenger hunt that went viral overnight and was hugely popular for a short period of time. As fun as these kinds of games might be, they don’t show the full potential for AR technology.

This article will look at some of the other uses for AR and explore which ones are the best AR offerings on the market today.

Live dealer casinos

Online casinos have become a major industry in recent years - they have been taking over more and more of the market as people realise that they provide a great opportunity for gambling. They are more convenient, offer great variety, and allow users to play in the comfort of their homes.

The development of live dealer casino games has brought the online casino experience even closer to the traditional land-based casino experience. Thanks to Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software, what the dealer does with the cards can be converted into data that players can then interact with.

They may not be able to physically touch the cards, but thanks to AR technology, players can interact with the cards, dealer and other players in real time. It is an impressive development that makes the online casino experience less solitary.

This list of the best casinos offering live dealer games shows just how widespread it has become. One of the added bonuses about this application of AR technology is that is doesn’t require any downloads or new programs. You can play right from your desktop or mobile browser.

Art and museums

When the Covid-19 pandemic began to shut down the world, lockdowns and closures frightened and unnerved the population. Museums responded to this crisis by digitizing many of their collections, allowing people to experience art and have some beauty during the early dark days.

AR allowed people to experience museums and galleries around the world from the comfort of their homes - it is one of the most positive uses of the technology, as it can be used for entertainment or as a learning tool for schools.

Artists have continued to play with the possibilities that AR offers. The app Acute Art allows the user to view works of art in their own home. Some, like Olafur Eliasson’s Solar Friend (a realistic sun), are giant works of art that have been scaled down to work on the platform.

With the stresses of our daily lives and the easy entertainment on television, it can be easy to forget how important art is. Art can be a powerful healing force in our lives and being able to experience it in our own homes is a great step forward.

Reviews

While Google Glass didn’t end up being the ultimate wearable tech that its designers had envisioned, one of the features it had, has carried on. Promotional materials for the Google Glass showed users being able to effortlessly call up information about the products in front of them while browsing the shops.

In these days where online reviews help us make decisions about where to eat, what to buy, and where to go, it makes sense that consumers would want an AR tool that allows them to read reviews on the go.

Being able to walk down the coffee aisle at your local Sainsbury’s and immediately see reviews of Lavazza, Nespresso, and every other brand on the shelf would be incredibly helpful. It would help buyers save time and money and avoid making bad purchases.

This technology does exist to some extent, but it has yet to be widely implemented. Snapchat’s AR Commerce tool features some of these elements but is more heavily geared towards allowing brands to show off their products.

This is one area of AR where the potential is understood but hasn’t been tapped into yet. Hopefully this will be the next biggest development.

Language learning

After eating healthier and exercising more, learning a new language seems to be at the top of most people’s list of New Year’s resolutions. Being able to communicate in multiple languages is a fantastic skill to have but it can be a very difficult one to master.

Many people struggle with learning languages. Books and other written materials are often confusing. Websites like Duolingo are great but can be too repetitious or feel impractical. AR could be the tool that helps more people reach their language goals.

The Mondly app is pioneering AR-assisted language learning. It has a number of AR features, including a personified chatbot and dynamic visualisations, to help make the process more engaging. It has the feel of working with a private tutor, which is a great incentive to actually practice.

There are many exciting developments being made in the world of AR. Unlike some areas of tech that are primarily focused on helping governments and corporations, AR has many uses that can improve the life of the individual.