AR NFT & Are AR NFTs The Next Big Thing?

The word “NFT” might be starting to feel familiar, but have you heard of AR NFTs before?

We won't call it a "trend alert" this time because if you are not living under a rock, it's impossible to miss NFTs. Their unique, valuable, and unchangeable nature is getting attention now more than ever. Lately, a new companion is being added to this madness: meet AR NFTs.

Developments in AR and VR in recent years have rebuilt our perception of “reality”. NFTs seem to blur the line between the physical and digital by taking the power of Blockchain behind them.

Bringing AR into the game is a good move to unlock the true potential of NFTs, compared to the still rendering of images. Let's have a look at what the NFT and AR duo will achieve together in the near future.

Art for Everyone, Everywhere with AR NFTs

You may still be confused and find yourself thinking "What exactly are these people paying for?". Would you be more willing to buy a much more realistic artwork powered by AR? Augmented reality, by its very nature, allows creators to create works that are deeper, more realistic, and more contextual.

Moreover, you can view these works anywhere and anytime via smart devices. Thanks to AR, you can associate the work you are viewing with the conditions of your environment, and you can set sail for new experiences with sound, visual, or other virtual effects. This way, augmented reality enables the collectors to fully experience an artwork.

Although they do not have an actual physical presence, 3D & AR NFTs can be used in many areas from games and virtual reality platforms like Decentraland to CGI movies or even museums. Technology gives you the chance to take a sculpture home with you and watch it for hours whenever you want. Mixing art, which is a very valuable concept on its own, with AR experiences raises the bar to a whole new level.

Let’s take a look at the usage of AR NFTs in different industries.

Gaming Ecosystem

When it comes to the gaming industry, it has always been the companies that make money. The players did not get much in return for the time and money they spent until recently. With the widespread use of the P2E (play-to-earn) model, players began to turn their attention and time into profit. NFTs use the advantages of Blockchain to bring ownership in a virtual world to reality.

Today, most of the games that offer their own in-game economy with Blockchain are on the way to offering AR and VR experiences by preparing themselves for the metaverse. There are countless devices on the market that support AR technology, and people want to see what more companies can offer in this area.

P2E games allow you to acquire assets that you can bring to real life. These assets, which you transfer to your wallet and use as you wish, can be in many different forms, from a game-specific item to a cryptocurrency traded in the stock market.

NFTs are one of these achievements. Maybe you want to display your armor in 3D and then store it in your wallet in NFT format. The armor you gain for a certain task, a feature you gain by leveling up, and even your avatar in the game itself can come across in NFT format. Soon, we will see in-game assets that are compatible with AR and the players will have a chance to see those assets in real life once they are purchased. You can think about it as an additional unlockable utility to the items.

AR NFTs attached to physical objects, location-based AR NFTs, and gaming AR NFTs are all on the horizon for the gaming industry. One thing is for sure, while item ownership is important even in 2D games, the "documented reality" created by the collaboration of AR and NFTs will strengthen the bond that players establish with the game.

Zed Run, an Ethereum-based digital horse racing platform, now brings digital ownership to real life. Bringing digital horses that you can have in NFT format to your backyard thanks to AR developments, the company states that the way to increase digital investments depends on the tight bond between horse and player.

Fashion and Home Decoration

Just like displaying art pieces, AR NFTs can also open the doors for fashion and decoration industries, especially with the power of virtual try-on. As artlabs, we are a proud tech partner of various NFT projects supporting them with our AR display and virtual try-on solutions.

You may be wondering whether or not people are buying non-existent items for themselves. When Andrés Reisinger's surrealist digital furniture collection was put up for auction, the buyers did not question the usability asking questions like "Where am I going to use these?". On the contrary, people showed a huge interest in this virtual collection, and these non-existent items were bought for $450,000 at the online NFT auction.

Wouldn’t it be nice to see these digital assets at home before actually purchasing them? By doing so, you will have a better idea of the items like the actual color, size, and texture. Likewise, many brands today include AR in every step of their customer journey. Buying a digital copy of your shoe as an NFT to experience it on your feet with the power of AR and make your avatar wear the same shoes as well can be the future of shopping. Take a look at this image by RTFKT (acquired by Nike) to better understand what we are talking about:

So how can you leverage AR NFTs for your brand?

To summarize, here are the key benefits of using AR technology in NFTs:

• Utility is a huge factor when it comes to the success of NFT projects. If you have an NFT collection you can differentiate your project from thousands of others with the help of AR by adding a unique vision and fun to your roadmap. Plus, your collectors will be able to see their favorite creations in real life and feel even more connected to them.

• If you are selling digital items like jackets or shoes for avatars or as in-game assets, make your customers try the items on themselves with AR before they make the actual purchase. This way, AR will clear up any questions they might have about assets. AR influences the way we perceive an NFT art piece because it adds another dimension to it, making it more valuable at the same time.

It is an undeniable fact that technology develops at an incredible pace and changes all sectors. Maybe you heard about AR NFTs for the first time in this blog post. You still have time to take advantage of the most innovative technologies for your creative projects.

Whether you have a 2D or 3D NFT collection/art piece we can digitize your assets and move them into the metaverse in 3D & AR. The future does not hesitate to offer opportunities to those who go for it, and you can be a part of this new trend by contacting our professional team today.