How to showcase NFTs in augmented reality

NFT artworks and collectibles are not just for the screen. However, when art lovers, collectors, and artists want to display their NFTs in their physical environments, more often than not, the only choice they have is to use digital frames installed in their homes or offices. 

Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that integrates the user’s real-world environment with digital content. There’re over one billion AR-ready devices in the world today. If NFTs are combined with this technology, many new ways of showcasing NFTs and creating engaging experiences can become available both to creators and collectors. 

Apps designed specifically for creating NFTs with AR

One approach to combining AR with NFTs is to mint your creations directly as AR-ready. Most apps are built in such a way that AR NFTs can be created from the ground up. The creation process is essentially the same across all applications. Download the app first, and then upload your content, such as photos, videos, scans, or models, to mint NFTs with AR features. 

An example is the Vew app which connects artists with designers who build AR experiences. The app allows you to create game-like interactive NFTs by incorporating sound, physics, and animation. Another option is to convert physical memorabilia into NFTs. Or, you can mint your art as an NFT with AR capabilities. It typically takes one week to have an AR-ready NFT with this application. 

Marketplaces for AR NFTs

Rather than creating your own, you can also purchase AR-ready NFTs created by others from marketplaces. 

The industry leader in this domain is Enjin-powered Hololoot which partners with other projects to create AR NFTs and offers them in a marketplace dedicated to AR NFTs. One collaboration was, for example, with the P2E game CryptoBlades, in which Hololoot Sword AR NFTs granted players one exclusive in-game item. 

The NFT marketplace is available within the app and includes both free and paid collections. You can claim your first AR NFT for free. Hololoot also organizes competitions and giveaways to distribute some of these NFTs. It’s possible to buy NFTs with stablecoins and HOL, the app’s native cryptocurrency. 

The marketplace mostly consists of affordable NFTs available in large quantities. The company will soon release an Initial NFT Offering (INO) launchpad to offer rare and exclusive collections, as well. INO launchpad will allow NFT creators to build awareness about their work by offering limited-edition items. Furthermore, these NFTs will be available for auctions and have more utilities than the regular AR NFTs in the marketplace.

The Hololoot app also has a built-in NFT generator, so you can create your own NFT, as well. 

Virtual showrooms with AR extensions

Some apps focus more on display. An example is VeVe which drops collectibles in its marketplace from world-renowned brands such as Marvel, Batman, Adventure Time, and Superman, to name a few. 

Users can build collections from these drops and showcase them, creating virtual showrooms provided by the app. These showrooms have AR extensions. So, in addition to the digital environment, collectors can display their collections in their physical environment in augmented reality by scanning their surroundings. 

VeVe also has a secondary marketplace where users can find the collectibles missing in their collections or trade their NFTs. 

Another app with AR capabilities for displaying NFTs is Overly. At the moment, the app supports OpenSea NFTs in gltf, glb, fbx, jpg, png, and mp4 formats. You can showcase NFTs in AR by copying a hyperlink to the asset within Overly’s 3D editor. The tool then extracts metadata of the NFT to showcase it directly from the hosting platform. The long-term goal of Overly is to allow NFTs purchased or minted on any marketplace to be displayed in AR.