Four decisions to make before choosing an AR platform

Choosing an AR platform first is usually choosing the constraint before the idea.

I keep seeing promising briefs begin with a platform name rather than a user need. Before requesting a quote, make four decisions that narrow the technical route without pretending every detail is settled.

What's the problem?

“Build us an AR experience” sounds clear until production questions begin.

Will people use their own phones or supplied devices? Are they standing inside a controlled venue, walking through Braamfontein, or joining from home? Must a digital object remain fixed to one precise spot? How will people find and open the experience?

Each answer affects cost, testing and reach.

A browser-based experience can open from a QR code without an app-store download. That reduces friction, especially for a short event. However, browser access may limit advanced tracking, device performance and offline use.

A dedicated mobile app can support deeper features and tighter control. It also introduces installation, app-store review, updates and ongoing support. Asking someone to install an app for a three-minute activation is a hard sell. (Their storage warning will arrive at exactly the wrong moment.)

Social AR can be easy to share inside an existing social platform. The trade-off is dependence on that platform’s rules, supported features and publishing process.

The mistake is treating these routes as interchangeable. They are different delivery choices with different failure points.

What's the solution?

Write a one-page platform brief before selecting technology. It should answer four questions.

First, define the audience. Record their likely phones, technical confidence and expected session length. A public campaign needs broader device support than an installation operated by trained staff.

Second, define the location. Note whether the experience runs indoors, outdoors, in bright sunlight, with reliable Wi-Fi, or across several venues. Johannesburg load-shedding plans and mobile-data costs belong in this discussion too.

Third, choose the tracking need. Image tracking attaches content to a recognised picture, poster or package. Surface tracking places content on a detected floor or table. Location tracking uses the phone’s position, while precise spatial anchoring tries to keep content fixed to a real place. Greater precision usually means more setup and testing.

Fourth, decide distribution. Can users scan a QR code? Must they download an app? Will staff launch the experience on managed devices? Does it need to spread through social sharing?

Consider a weekend retail activation in Rosebank. Visitors use their own phones, scan signage, and place a product on a nearby surface. The venue has patchy guest Wi-Fi, and each session lasts two minutes. Browser-based AR with a small initial download is a sensible route. A dedicated app would add friction without solving the main need.

Change one condition and the answer changes. If the installation must remember precise positions across several rooms for six months, an app-based route may justify its added work.

The brief chooses the route before the platform chooses the project.

What's next?

1. Write one sentence each for audience, location, tracking and distribution.
2. Test the proposed entry step on three ordinary Android and iPhone devices.
3. Send the one-page brief with your quote request, then ask vendors to explain their route.

Share your four decisions with the Jozi XR community, or ask us where your brief remains unclear.

The WE ARE VR team