HBR defines mixed reality as a spectrum of blending the physical and digital worlds with augmented reality at one end of the sliding scale and virtual reality on the other.
eMarketer's definition is somewhat different: "Mixed reality blends objects from the physical and virtual worlds to produce new environments and visualizations where these objects coexist and interact in real time," said analyst Victoria Petrock.
"As VR, AR and MR become more accessible and people become more comfortable with them, we're seeing different use cases emerge in different industries," she said. "For example, virtual reality is helping companies train their employees by immersing them into role-playing situations in virtual worlds. Augmented reality and mixed reality are helping in situations like engineering design and architecture, where it's helpful to overlay information that enhances a real-world image."