Software · head to head
Immersed vs ARCore
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Immersed the free Starter Mode is limited to 3 virtual screens; ARCore aRCore limited to Android 7.0+, excluding older Android devices
- They diverge on capability: Immersed covers Virtual monitors, ARCore covers Motion tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Immersed and ARCore actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Immersed
- Virtual monitors
- Hand tracking
- Passthrough
- Collaboration
- Mac/Windows
- Video calls
- Keyboard tracking
- Vr support
Only in ARCore
- Motion tracking
- Environmental understanding
- Light estimation
- Depth API
- Unity
- Unreal
- Android Studio
- Ar support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Immersed
- Working with multiple virtual monitors inside a VR or mixed reality headsetnot ARCore
- Remote co-working in a shared virtual officenot ARCore
- Replacing physical monitors for laptop-based worknot ARCore
ARCore
- VR Gamingnot Immersed
- AR Marketingnot Immersed
- Virtual Trainingnot Immersed
- 3D Visualizationnot Immersed
- Immersive Experiencesnot Immersed
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Immersed
- The free Starter Mode is limited to 3 virtual screens
- Free screen resolutions are capped at standard sizes up to 1440x900
- The free tier rotates through only 2 alternating environments each week
- The free tier's 4 collaborator private rooms and offline mode are both marked as limited time only features
- Offline mode still requires a Wi-Fi connection at startup
- Immersed Pro starts at $5.99 per month billed monthly on a pay what you want slider
- A supported headset such as Apple Vision Pro or Quest 3 must be bought separately
ARCore
- ARCore limited to Android 7.0+, excluding older Android devices
- Requires integration with game engines or frameworks for most applications
- Cloud anchors rely on internet connectivity for shared AR experiences
- Performance varies significantly across different Android device capabilities
Pricing, plan by plan
Immersed
Free- FreeFree
- 2 virtual monitors
- Basic environments
- Solo work
ARCore
Free- FreeFree
- Full SDK
- Cloud Anchors
- Geospatial API
Which should you pick?
Choose Immersed if
- You need virtual monitors.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Vr, Quest, Pc.
- You also want hand tracking.
Choose ARCore if
- You need motion tracking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Android, iOS, Web.
- You also want environmental understanding.
Questions people ask
- Is Immersed or ARCore better?
- Neither clearly leads. Immersed starts at Free and ARCore at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Immersed or ARCore?
- Immersed starts at Free and ARCore at Free.
- Does Immersed or ARCore run on more platforms?
- Immersed runs on Vr, Quest, Pc. ARCore runs on Android, iOS, Web.
- Can I use Immersed for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Immersed best used for?
- Immersed is most often used for working with multiple virtual monitors inside a vr or mixed reality headset, remote co-working in a shared virtual office, replacing physical monitors for laptop-based work. Of those, working with multiple virtual monitors inside a vr or mixed reality headset and remote co-working in a shared virtual office are not what ARCore is typically brought in for.
- What can Immersed do that ARCore cannot?
- Immersed covers Virtual monitors, Hand tracking, Passthrough, Collaboration. ARCore covers Motion tracking, Environmental understanding, Light estimation, Depth API.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
ARCore: What platforms does ARCore support?
ARCore supports Android 7.0 (Nougat) and later on qualified Android phones. SDKs are also available for iOS, Unity, Unreal Engine, and Web (WebXR).
SourceARCore: What are the three core capabilities of ARCore?
ARCore provides motion tracking to monitor device position, environmental understanding to detect surfaces like floors and walls, and light estimation to analyze surrounding lighting conditions.
SourceARCore: Can developers build shared AR experiences with ARCore?
Yes, ARCore supports cloud anchors enabling multiple users to see the same virtual objects in the real world, enabling shared AR experiences.
SourceARCore: What programming languages does ARCore support?
ARCore supports Kotlin and Java for Android, C through Android NDK, and provides APIs for Unity, Unreal Engine, iOS, and Web platforms.
Source