Reality Check: How VR and AR Can Supercharge Your Business

Reality Check is a practical guide for senior leaders, strategists, and innovation professionals to understand how virtual, augmented, and extended reality (VR, AR, and XR) can deliver real business value. It offers a clear view of how these tools are transforming industries, identifying high-impact use cases, integrating them into business models, evaluating ROI, infrastructure needs, and leadership buy-in, and featuring interviews with pioneers and case studies from leading organizations. Themes include immersive technology, XR strategy, business innovation, digital transformation, future of work, and competitive advantage.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 03 June 2025
Publisher: Kogan Page Ltd

Immersive technology, encompassing virtual, augmented, and extended reality (VR, AR, and XR), has the potential to revolutionize industries and deliver real business value. However, despite years of buzz, these technologies remain underused outside of gaming and demos. Jeremy Dalton's book, "Reality Check: Is Immersive Tech Just Hype, or Your Next Strategic Advantage?" offers a clear view of how these tools are transforming industries, from manufacturing and healthcare to education, retail, and beyond.

In this practical guide, Dalton helps senior leaders, strategists, and innovation professionals understand how to separate short-term trends from scalable, long-term XR applications, identify high-impact use cases to improve efficiency, productivity, and engagement, integrate immersive tech into their business model with minimal disruption, and evaluate ROI, infrastructure needs, and leadership buy-in for emerging tech adoption.

Featuring interviews with pioneers and case studies from leading organizations, "Reality Check" helps you lead with clarity, adopt with purpose, and stay ahead of the curve in a fast-moving digital landscape. Themes include immersive technology, XR strategy, business innovation, digital transformation, future of work, and competitive advantage.

One of the key themes of the book is the importance of separating short-term trends from scalable, long-term XR applications. VR and AR have been around for several years, but they have yet to reach their full potential. Many companies have invested in VR and AR technologies, only to find that they are not delivering the expected results. Dalton argues that this is because many companies are focusing on the wrong applications.

For example, VR and AR are often used for gaming and demos, but they have the potential to be used in a wide range of industries. For example, VR can be used to train employees, AR can be used to improve customer service, and XR can be used to create immersive experiences for consumers.

To identify high-impact use cases, Dalton recommends conducting a thorough analysis of your business. This analysis should include identifying your key business goals, identifying the pain points that your customers are experiencing, and identifying the technologies that can address those pain points.

Once you have identified high-impact use cases, Dalton recommends developing a clear XR strategy. This strategy should include a roadmap for implementing XR technologies, a budget for implementing XR technologies, and a plan for evaluating the ROI of XR technologies.

Integrating immersive tech into your business model with minimal disruption is another key theme of the book. Dalton argues that many companies are hesitant to adopt immersive tech because they are afraid of the disruption that it will cause. However, Dalton argues that immersive tech can be integrated into your business model with minimal disruption if you are willing to invest in the necessary infrastructure.

Evaluating ROI, infrastructure needs, and leadership buy-in for emerging tech adoption is another key theme of the book. Dalton argues that many companies are hesitant to adopt emerging tech because they are afraid of the cost of implementation. However, Dalton argues that emerging tech can be a cost-effective solution if you are willing to invest in the necessary infrastructure.

In addition to these themes, "Reality Check" also includes case studies from leading organizations that have successfully implemented immersive tech. These case studies provide valuable insights into the challenges that companies face when implementing immersive tech, as well as the strategies that they have used to overcome those challenges.

One of the case studies featured in the book is the use of VR and AR in the healthcare industry. VR and AR have been used to train medical students, to provide virtual consultations, and to improve patient care. For example, VR can be used to simulate medical procedures, AR can be used to provide real-time patient data, and XR can be used to create immersive experiences for patients.

Another case study featured in the book is the use of VR and AR in the education industry. VR and AR have been used to create immersive learning experiences, to provide virtual field trips, and to improve student engagement. For example, VR can be used to simulate historical events, AR can be used to provide interactive learning materials, and XR can be used to create immersive experiences for students.

In conclusion, immersive technology, encompassing virtual, augmented, and extended reality, has the potential to revolutionize industries and deliver real business value. However, despite years of buzz, these technologies remain underused outside of gaming and demos. Jeremy Dalton's book, "Reality Check: Is Immersive Tech Just Hype, or Your Next Strategic Advantage?" offers a clear view of how these tools are transforming industries, from manufacturing and healthcare to education, retail, and beyond. By separating short-term trends from scalable, long-term XR applications, identifying high-impact use cases, integrating immersive tech into your business model with minimal disruption, evaluating ROI, infrastructure needs, and leadership buy-in for emerging tech adoption, you can lead with clarity, adopt with purpose, and stay ahead of the curve in a fast-moving digital landscape.

Weight: 430g
Dimension: 156 x 234 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781398618749
Edition number: 2 Revised edition