For a while, I’ve been thinking about if VR/AR (a.k.a XR) will eventually replace 2D interfaces or even a web itself. The anxiety coming from this question is one of the reasons why I jump into learning Unity 3D and C# instead of learning Javascript.

And after taking basic Oculus Quest development course, learning about WebXR, and trying new titles on SideQuest, I thought through this question again with a bigger picture in mind. And I think I came up with an analogy that might be an answer.

Today, almost everyone has a decent video camera (your smartphone). And the video is a great method to relay information to one and another. But everyone still writes articles and posts with words like I am doing right now. There are multiple reasons for this:
• Video editing takes more time and skill than writing.
• Text or image is a more efficient way to relay information depends on the subject.
• Videos usually contain sounds that require headphones to watch it in public.

and other reasons…

These points draw parallels with XR
• XR contents take more time and skill to create. (3D modeling + Game engine + coding…)
• Just watching a tutorial video is more efficient than going through VR training depending on the subject.
• XR requires HMD(Head Mounted Display) which is big, fragile, and heavy.

you get the point.

Yes, HMD technology will improve over time. But despite the availability of Bluetooth headphones (which is very mature technology), there is still a good number of users not watching videos in public places because of sounds. This is why some YouTube content creators claim that it is important to enabling captions on their videos so viewers can watch their videos without sound.

In conclusion, XR won’t replace conventional 2D interfaces such as websites, just like how books still exist after the invention of film technology. But I also don’t think XR is just a fad that is doomed to fail either. There are several applications that only XR can handle. Games such as “Pistolwhip” and “Puzzling places” never can be played in 2D settings. Those two games are extremely simple but harness the unique advantage of VR and offer experiences like nothing else.

In the future, instead of the web getting replaced by the “Ready Player One” style virtual world, the web is likely to evolve in a direction where it supports XR contents and works as a sharing platform, similar to how video contents are shared via YouTube and Tiktok on the web (This is exactly what Mozilla and Facebook are pushing for with WebXR). And XR devices will allow users to interact with 2D contents more efficiently by allowing them to open multiple big screens anywhere without having to set up multiple monitors (In this case, HTML, CSS, and Javascript will be still used).

UI/UX is all about relaying and receiving information to and from users in a most efficient manner. But when you design a product or a feature, you must think about if it will offer values that will outweigh users’ effort and development cost.

Creating VR training simulation works for some applications but most of the time, just making an onboarding video is much cheaper and easier. And this is why we will likely to navigate 2D websites written in HTML and CSS with our future AR glasses instead of interacting with fancy interfaces like randomly floating 3D texts and 3D buttons users have to walk up to it and press with their hands.

What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear them.

Will XR (VR/AR) replace 2D interfaces? was originally published in AR/VR Journey: Augmented & Virtual Reality Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.