What is extended reality (XR)?

Extended reality, or XR, is the umbrella term covering augmented reality (digital layers on the real world), virtual reality (a fully digital world), and mixed reality (the 2 blended). I treat XR as foundational infrastructure that will reshape communication, learning, work, and entertainment, and the money agrees: Meta poured tens of billions into Reality Labs, Apple built visionOS, and Google launched Android XR. It is not 1 gadget or 1 app. It is the shift toward computing that understands space, presence, and context. Treat it as a platform, not a toy. The companies that dismissed the smartphone in 2007 are the same ones dismissing XR today.