Augmented Reality (AR) takes an image of the real world around you (or just the real world itself through a transparent screen) and superimposes images onto it.

Augmented Reality (AR) takes an image of the real world around you (or just the real world itself through a transparent screen) and superimposes images onto it. You could be looking at a very real tree in front of you and see a virtual squirrel on it, or your actual wall and a virtual TV to help you see if it will look good there. Or just a list of your text messages in the corner of your vision. Whatever. Mixed Reality (MR) is essentially a synonym for AR, but sometimes described as having the virtual elements interact with the real world rather than just being superimposed on top. The term appears to originate from Microsoft’s marketing for their HoloLens product and it’s just kind of stuck. It seems like in practice it’s usually a matter of preference but you should read closer because sometimes they’re trying to distinguish some product feature from “regular” AR.