Ever since the advent of VR, AR, QR, et al., there has been a swirl of acronyms, and as the various technologies and methodologies proliferate, it has become common to conflate things like AR and VR, as well as what is more correctly called “interactive print.” Let’s define our terms.

QR codes are similar in practice to the ubiquitous UPCs (Universal Product Codes) that have adorned consumer items since the 1970s. Also called “two-dimensional codes,” the pattern of black-and-white squares acts like the bars in a barcode. Invented in 1994 in Japan by Denso WAVE to track cars throughout the manufacturing process, QR codes spread to more and more applications, especially advertising and marketing. After the advent of the smartphone, QR codes became a quick way to get mobile users to access a website. Although graphic designers are not fans (they’re not the most aesthetically pleasing design element in the world), it has reached the point where users don’t need a separate app to read them. Just aim your iPhone camera at the code and it will be read automatically; this capability is also available on Samsung phones as of June 2019 with the Samsung Galaxy S10 as well as a few other recent Android models. Native QR code readers have been built into Japanese phones for years, which has made use of these codes popular there. When you have to use a separate app, it can be inconvenient and discourage users from scanning these codes. 

VR first appeared on everyone’s radar in the early 1990s. It uses head mounted displays (HMDs) and often gloves and other wearable apparatus—usually pretty clunky-looking ones, at least so far in its development—to generate realistic images, sounds and other sensations that simulate a user’s physical presence in a virtual or imaginary 360 environment. It is a completely immersive experience. The early adoption of VR technology was in education and entertainment, which is where it has remained. The technology still needs a more elegant solution than HMDs before you will see wide adoption, especially among consumers, although technologies like Google Glass and display technologies that more closely resemble traditional eyewear may help.