In the context of digital technologies for entertainment, consider the following statements:
- 1.In Augmented Reality (AR), a simulated environment is created and the physical world is completely shut out.
- 2.In Virtual Reality (VR), images generated from a computer are projected onto real-life objects or surroundings.
- 3.AR allows individuals to be present in the world and improves the experience using the camera of smart-phone or PC.
- 4.VR closes the world, and transposes an individual, providing complete immersion experience.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) 3 and 4
Statements 3 and 4 are correct; statements 1 and 2 swap the definitions. Augmented reality adds computer-generated content to the real world you are still in, while virtual reality replaces your surroundings with a simulated one.
- ✗ 1. This describes VR, not AR. AR does not shut out the physical world; it adds digital elements to it.
- ✗ 2. This describes AR, not VR. VR places the user inside an artificial, computer-generated reality instead of projecting images onto real surroundings.
- ✓ 3. AR keeps the user in the real world and adds to it, using devices as simple as a smartphone camera or as advanced as AR headsets.
- ✓ 4. VR, typically through a headset, transposes the user into an artificial, computer-generated world for a fully immersive experience.
Remember · AR adds digital content to the real world you can still see; VR replaces the real world with a simulated one.
Sources
- NASA, NASA Explores Potential of Altered Realities for Space Engineering and Science (10 Aug 2017) ↗ “Virtual reality typically involves wearing a headset that allows the user to experience and interact with an artificial, computer-generated reality. … Augmented reality, on the other hand, doesn’t move the user to a different place, but adds something to it. As with Pokémon Go, augmented reality is made possible through low-end devices like smartphones and high-end AR headsets that blend digital components into the real world.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2019, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·