As Creative Director and Managing Director of XR Agency I've been hearing the same statement from people about VR or AR applications for ten years: „It's nice, but ultimately it's just a gimmick.“ Why do so many people find it so hard to take XR technologies seriously from the start?
The first impression counts – the „dinosaur trap“ problem“
A central problem is the question of which application people use when they first come into contact with XR experience. This first impression usually shapes their entire perception of the medium. If I show dinosaurs, people believe, XR is mainly for spectacular, visual experiences. A virtual roller coaster ride, in turn, makes it difficult to imagine what simulations, scientific content, or advertising concepts might look like.This challenge reminds me of my childhood experience with the medium of television. On Sundays, my grandpa always had Formula 1 or soccer on, which shaped my perception of television for a long time. It was only as I got older and had my own access to television that I became aware of its diversity. But without my own VR headset the first impression people have of XR often also their only one.
Gaming Content Dominates - Why XR is Often Misunderstood
The impression, XR technologies are especially suitable for gaming, is largely created by major companies such as Meta, which are intensely active in the gaming market. Meta and similar providers focus their marketing on gaming, as they see the greatest use case and commercial potential here. This creates the impression among the audience that, XR you are mainly limited to entertainment.
When Marketing misses the use case – The dilemma of grand visions
Many people encounter XR technologies with skepticism – and not infrequently, this skepticism is the result of disappointed expectations. Expectations that, in the run-up to tech giants like Meta or Apple were self-inflicted. If one XR Technology dismiss it as a gimmick, often because they've previously heard a promise that wasn't kept. Someone who buys a headset hoping to step into Metaverse To step in or to experience the „ultimate entertainment machine“ quickly confronts you with reality – namely, that many of these visions have (not yet) been fulfilled in practice.
This is precisely where the core of the problem lies: the manufacturers' exaggerated promises lead to a kind of collective disappointment. And this disappointment then casts a shadow over the entire medium. XR is no longer seen as a tool to be taken seriously, but rather as an overpriced tech gimmick with no real use. The problem here is not the medium itself, but the discrepancy between expectation and actual experience.
A particularly prominent example of the divergence between product promises and actual target audience relevance is the so-called Metaverse. As Meta – also Facebook – began about three years ago to propagate the vision of a digital parallel universe, it was sold as the future of the internet. Users were meant to meet, work, shop, and live as avatars in virtual spaces. But even at the height of media attention, one thing remained striking: a real target audience was missing.
Outside of pandemic times, the concept of interacting solely through avatars in an artificial world was not appealing to most people. The idea might seem fascinating in sci-fi novels or visionary concepts, but in the daily lives of most users, it remained divorced from reality. The promised shift did not occur – not least because neither the technology nor societal acceptance was ready at that time.
A similar problem is currently appearing with the Apple Vision Pro. Apple isn't banking on the Metaverse, but rather to an all-in-one entertainment device. But even here, one has to wonder: where is the concrete, tangible use case? The available media and apps have by no means exhausted the potential of this expensive headset. In both cases, the technology seems to be outpacing the utility. Manufacturers seem to have to follow up with use cases – a circumstance that leads to skepticism rather than enthusiasm among consumers.
Because: The truly meaningful applications for XR are often not spectacular, not particularly flashy – and precisely for that reason, difficult to communicate. They are frequently found in industry, training, or rehabilitation. There isn't „the one use case“ that applies to everyone. And that, too, makes marketing difficult: Those who ask „What's in it for me?“ expect a simple answer. That doesn't exist for XR No. But there are many good, individual answers—if you look for them and phrase them correctly.
Hidden Champions – Serious Application Areas in the Shadows
Despite increasing adoption in medicine, education, and industry, these serious use cases mostly remain hidden. This makes it difficult for many to, XR to be recognized as a serious tool.
More than just fun – Why playful learning must be taken seriously
In societal perception, there is often a harsh separation between „playful“ and „serious.“ This boundary is usually seen as a strict distinction, with playfulness often considered less valuable or even trivial. However, it is precisely this attitude that needs to be questioned.
Playful Learning – or Gamification – should be taken seriously because it combines fun and emotionality with profound learning success. When we are emotionally involved, we learn more intensely, more sustainably, and remember better. Neuroscience studies prove that emotionally charged content is particularly deeply anchored in memory. Playing is not just entertainment, but a natural learning process that is essential for our development from an early age.
Nevertheless, playfulness is often underestimated and misunderstood by society. This is because many people are somewhat skeptical of content that, at first glance, seems to be just „fun.“ What is overlooked here is that fun and emotional engagement are essential components of effective learning methods. Games make it possible to grasp complex concepts intuitively while simultaneously maintaining learners’ motivation.
It is crucial to dismantle these prejudices and clarify that playful methods are no less reputable or valuable than traditional approaches. Companies and educational institutions that successfully incorporate playful elements clearly demonstrate that learning and fun do not have to be mutually exclusive. On the contrary, they complement each other excellently and enable more effective, engaging, and sustainable knowledge transfer.
Technology Skepticism: Are You an Innovator or Following the Herd?
A fitting example of the general skepticism and resistance to innovation regarding new technologies—especially in Germany—is an article from 1984 published by Stiftung Warentest under the title „Disappointment Is Inevitable.“ At the time, it stated: „Not a single company in the home computer industry has given the American public a compelling reason why one should buy a home computer.“ Stiftung Warentest concluded at the time that there were no practical home applications for personal computers. Back then, only about 5 % of German households owned a computer—today, that figure stands at 85 %.
The question everyone has to ask themselves is: Do I want to invest in a technology only when the use cases are already fully established and widespread? Or am I an innovator, a pioneer, who boldly breaks new ground and creates new use cases for my business or brand? Those who want to play it safe and prefer established methods are in the XR area possibly not in good hands. Because XR technologies life of innovation, creativity, and pioneering spirit.
Conclusion: Courage for Innovation – Remain Realistic and Fully Exploit Potential
It is important to be realistic and honest about the potential and challenges of XR technologies to deal with. The possibilities of these technologies are immense, yet at the same time, there are technical and communicative stumbling blocks. Even I, as an experienced XR-Insider I regularly take time to learn about new applications and developments so that I can continue to advise my clients competently.
As the CEO of Design for real I invite you: If you XR technologies for your company, advertising, training, or other purposes, please feel free to contact us. I will advise you personally, openly, and realistically. I will clearly explain what is possible, what it will cost – and just as honestly, what currently does not work. Let's find realistic and innovative ways together, XR to use successfully.
XR stands for Extended Reality and includes technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR). The term XR serves as an umbrella term for all immersive digital experiences.
The focus of large companies on gaming and entertainment creates the impression that XR is primarily intended for leisure and games. The diverse professional application areas often remain in the shadows.
These include training courses, product visualizations, simulations, virtual trade fairs, and interactive brand and customer experiences.
