For marketers, advertisers, and content creators looking to break into mobile augmented reality (AR), the biggest question is often between WebAR and apps. At MetaVRse, we’ve created a platform that unlocks 3D content on all browsers and devices, and mobile AR through an iOS/Android app.
3D vs. AR
3D experiences let you explore highly-realistic experiences in a virtual space. For example, our solar system experience on web lets you navigate through space without the need to download the app, using your fingers to move, rotate, and zoom.
AR experiences take 3D to the next level by combining information about the real world (camera feed, location services, etc.) with the virtual world (3D objects and interfaces). The phone acts like a window into the virtual world, as you can move the phone around.
WebAR vs. App: Which One is Right for You?
The most common objection to app-based AR creates friction, as people have to take the step of downloading an app. The flip side is that WebAR is light years behind the curve. With today’s web technologies, smooth, high-fidelity AR experiences are impossible within the browser. Interaction is also extremely limited, if not impossible. This will change over the next few years, but in the meantime, AR developers and marketers are left in the lurch.
MetaVRse: 3D on Web, AR on App
With the MetaVRse Engine, you have access to an appealing sales driver (3D mode on web) that can nudge customers towards premium experiences (AR mode on app). This combines the best of both worlds, with 3D experiences that can run on any browser, and AR experiences that the full capabilities of a phone’s operating system.
| Feature | WebAR | One App |
|---|---|---|
| Visual fidelity | Can render XXX,XXX polygons, limited use of shaders and other effects | Can render X,XXX,XXX polygons, robust shader capabilities and full use of mobile GPUs |
| Object recognition | Limited (QR codes and face effects) | Access to full suite of mobile processor unlocks robust image recognition |
| Moving through an AR scene | Very limited (poor performance and judder) | Highly robust (smooth motion with minimal lag) |
| Interactivity (e.g. buttons and other user interfaces) | Very limited | Unlimited |
| Offline use | Impossible | Experiences can be preloaded as part of a whitelabel application |
