Pokémon Go and Ingress developer Niantic is at the forefront of augmented reality technology. Alongside its video game development, the company is actively working on Niantic AR glasses.
In the past, the game developer teased that its upcoming hardware will allow Pokémon Go to feel like it’s one with the world. With an all-new tech demo of the upcoming glasses, we may finally realise that wish.
Revealed at Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit, the in-development AR glasses are looking great. Compared to other AR glasses, Niantic‘s offering doesn’t need to be tied to a smartphone. Instead, everything is run on the glasses themselves.
In the video, the Niantic Outdoor AR Headset is shown running software in real-time. While rough around the edges, the headset is about to correctly display AR within the real world with impressive results. Tracking and placement is still jittery, but it’s markedly better than other products on the market.
One example shows an AR map system that pops up on the side of a skyscraper, allowing you to see where to go next. Furthermore, the glasses interface with real maps, giving you more details on nearby activities.
The biggest focus of the recent tech demo was AR games. For example, you can see a robot running through the world, shooting at other robots. One exciting snippet shows two huge mechs battling atop a building right in front of your face. It’s pretty awesome!
Niantic’s tech demo is running on the newly announced Qualcomm AR2 Gen 1 platform. This is a chip purposefully designed for augmented reality making it perfect for AR headsets and glasses.
Qualcomm and Niantic’s partnership is a long-term one. The two companies are working together to developer Lightship VPS, a full AR map of the entire world. This means that Niantic AR glasses will be actually useful across devices, giving you integral details on the world around you.
Augmented reality in the way that the Pokémon Go developer is using it is a step forward for technology. While major tech giants like Meta are focused on shoving humanity in a VR Metaverse, Niantic’s plans improve the world around us, making it more accessible.
There’s still no release date for the developer’s upcoming hardware. However, we’re very excited to see how it turns out in the future.