In this inaugural volume, we introduce CAVRN and set out an agenda for a Critical Augmented and Virtual Reality research Network. Through what we refer to as ‘critical AR and VR studies’, we argue there is urgent need for research that takes stock of rapid developments in the AR and VR space – accounting for the ethical, social, political, and economic implications of these technologies. This volume of CAVRN presents 16 contributions offering critical perspectives on AR and VR, encompassing diverse domains, united in their call for a deeper exploration of the complexities of virtual interaction, advocating for an approach to the critique of VR that accounts for both its material-technical affordances and its socio-cultural dimensions. The contributions in this volume cover four main areas – 1) the policy, regulatory, and legal implications of AR and VR, 2) media theoretical approaches to studying VR, 3) responses to the emerging ‘metaverse’, and 4) VR experiences and storytelling
