Immersive training for the military, government, healthcare and business

Last updated October 21, 2026

This guide explains what VR and simulation training is, why the services use it, and who provides it. Each training category compares its providers side by side, with the same fields for every provider and a source for every fact.

Training categories

What immersive training is

Immersive training uses computer-generated or filmed environments that surround the learner. Virtual reality (VR) replaces the user's view of their surroundings with a simulated, interactive environment; a headset may be required. Augmented reality (AR) overlays digital images on the real world. Extended reality (XR) is an umbrella term for these and related technologies, including 360-degree video.

The military uses these tools alongside established forms of training. GAO describes live training as real people operating real systems, virtual training as real people operating simulated equipment, and constructive training as computer simulations, such as units shown as icons on a map. The Army's Synthetic Training Environment aims to merge live, virtual, constructive and gaming training.

Not every immersive tool needs a headset. Soldiers rehearse missions in 3D game environments on laptops, and junior leaders practice counseling conversations with virtual characters. GAO reports that the Army and Marine Corps treat simulation as a complement to live training, and the Army's acquisition magazine says it does not replace live training.

Virtual reality (VR)

A simulated, interactive environment replaces the user's view of their surroundings; a headset may be required. In Army training, for example, a forward observer can use a VR headset to see a virtual battlefield and call in indirect fire.

Augmented reality (AR)

Digital images are overlaid on the real world through a phone, head-mounted display or heads-up display. An Army research tool, for example, overlays 3D anatomy on a casualty and shows triage information to medics.

Mixed reality (MR)

Real-world and virtual elements are combined. The FDA notes that AR is sometimes called mixed or merged reality. One example is a prototype Air Force helicopter simulator that presents an interactive cockpit replica in mixed reality.

360-degree video

Spherical video, typically filmed with 360-degree cameras and stitched together, that viewers pan around on a computer or phone or watch in a VR headset. W3C counts 360-degree content among extended reality experiences.

Simulated conversation practice

Trainees practice hard conversations, such as counseling a struggling subordinate, with characters that respond to what they say, then review their performance. The Army's ELITE Lite trainer, described in 2014, uses virtual role-players; traditional courses use live role-play.

Desktop 3D simulation

Interactive 3D scenarios run on laptops, desktops or touchscreens, with no headset. The Army's Games for Training program runs a PC-based 3D training environment, and Navy trainers let sailors practice equipment procedures on large touchscreens.

Why the military uses it

• Safety: simulators let people rehearse tasks too dangerous to practice live. GAO reported that Army and Marine Corps aviators have long used simulators for takeoffs and emergency procedures, and that both services adopted simulators to teach troops to escape rolled-over vehicles.
• Access: live training can be limited by maneuver space and range access. GAO notes that simulation can recreate conditions a range lacks, such as different terrain, and an Army training official says a VR capability can supplement training when live personnel or vehicles are unavailable.
• Repetition and feedback: GAO notes simulation lets units repeat a task many times with instant feedback. The Army says a Synthetic Training Environment system allows more "reps and sets" than live fire; the Navy says its 3D and VR trainers add reps and sets before sailors touch real equipment.
• Readiness and cost: according to Army officials and Marine Corps training guidance cited by GAO, better training and readiness come first when choosing simulation, with cost savings secondary. The services generally see simulation as cheaper than live training, but GAO found they had no method to measure its full costs.
• Data and time: digital trainers can record performance. The Air Force's 225 immersive pilot-training devices feed a cloud learning management system that tracks grades and syllabus progress. AETC's commander said in 2024 that AR/VR had cut 20 days from an avionics maintenance course syllabus.

What the evidence says

A 2021 meta-analysis in the journal Human Factors pooled transfer-of-training studies of VR, AR and MR from many fields. It found XR training as effective as conventional training, not more effective, and concluded that XR's value lies where danger or cost rule out traditional methods.

GAO reported in 2013 that the Army and Marine Corps cited benefits of simulation-based training but had not set outcome metrics to measure its effect on performance or proficiency, and had no method to compare its full costs with live training.

In 2016 GAO found that the Army's seven effectiveness analyses of virtual training devices since 2012 used differing objectives and approaches, and that expected usage was sometimes calculated only after devices were fielded. DoD generally concurred with GAO's recommendations, including defining how effectiveness is analyzed.

A 2022 Institute for Defense Analyses conference briefing on an Air Force Research Laboratory-supported review said AR/VR training studies report details unevenly. In an initial set, studies lacked descriptions of users' task experience (26%), technology experience (28%) or performance measures (29%).

How this guide works

Each category page explains the training, answers the questions buyers ask most, and compares the main providers side by side: what each offers, who it serves, how its training is delivered, assessment and analytics, AI features, public programs, and how to buy. Sources are listed at the end of each page.