Posted on Apr. 17, 2025 by Christopher Dorch

Military leaders looking to adopt virtual training devices must ask several critical questions when deciding on a technology solution for their forces. Can their live training be conducted realistically and accurately within this immersive virtual environment? Is there a high training throughput? Does it ease the instructor load?

Extended reality (XR) entered the military training space in various roles and applications. It has long been used for flight and drone operation and, more recently, for negotiation, combat, medical, and more. It is a highly flexible style of training that, by definition, combines the benefits of augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality into one package.
XR sets itself apart from other virtual technologies by allowing trainees to interact with virtual objects placed in the real world. Passthrough and augmented reality have further developed to reduce motion sickness and lack of immersion caused by an overly artificial CGI environment.

XR Applications in Military Training

HTC VIVE surveyed 400 military personnel to assess attitudes towards XR training. Respondents were a mix of XR users and non-XR users, and responses indicated that the armed forces were eager to adopt or continue to use the technology.

  • 67% said XR training helps them prepare for stressful situations.
  • 80% said XR enhances their education plans.
  • 75% of the respondents who do not use XR plan to do so by 2028.

These recent statistics gathered in mid-2023 show a promising outlook for the future of XR. Simulated training in all forms has been popular for years, but the unique benefits from XR are noted for immersive combat training, technical training, and exercises (VIVE Business, 2023).

V-XR®- VirTra’s XR Solution

VirTra offered a glimpse of its newest technology at I/ITSEC 2024. The V-XR® is our most portable simulation tool, and its self-driven properties help reduce instructor exertion. Its unique use of volumetrically captured characters allows for a more realistic experience than traditional CGI.

Schedule a demonstration of this new system by speaking with a specialist here.

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