Interpretation of the term XR

Determine whether the term XR should be interpreted as an abbreviation of "Extended Reality" or understood as a neutral symbolic label that encompasses virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) within XR-related terminology.

Background

The paper surveys the historical emergence and adoption of VR, AR, MR, and XR terminology, noting that MR initially functioned as an umbrella term, while XR later spread through standardization efforts such as OpenXR and WebXR. Despite this, there is inconsistency and ambiguity regarding whether XR is an abbreviation of Extended Reality or a neutral symbolic placeholder.

The author argues that standardization bodies (e.g., Khronos Group, W3C, ISO/IEC) have promoted a neutral and inclusive use of XR as a symbolic label, but acknowledges that within the research community and industry, interpretations diverge, leaving the fundamental definitional question unresolved.