Pokémon Go creators are creating ‘smart glasses’ that let you see virtual creatures
POKÉMON Go addicts could soon play the hit video game on a pair of "smart glasses".
The augmented reality specs are set to project Pokémon onto the real world – a dream come true for Poké-fans everywhere.
Game studio Niantic has teamed up with Californian tech giant Qualcomm to create a pair of augmented reality glasses.
Augmented reality is like virtual reality, but with a key difference.
Where VR replaces your entire world with computer-generated images, AR overlays those images onto the real world around you.
Common examples of AR include Snapchat filters, or games like Pokémon Go where characters appear on your camera screen.
Augmented reality glasses make it seem like computer images are actually in front of you.
It would make a game like Pokémon Go seem much more realistic.
The bad news is that there's no word on when these smart specs will actually be released.
Niantic has only said that its partnership with Qualcomm is a "multi-year" project – so the final product could be years away.
We also don't know how much they'll cost, or the full details of what they'll actually do.
Niantic also makes several other popular games, including Ingress and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite.
It's possible that these games may also work with Niantic's upcoming AR spectacles.
"We're looking forward to helping move the entire AR industry forward," said Niantic co-founder Phil Keslin.
"The Niantic Real World Platform has been proven out by hundreds of millions of users, through consumer experiences such as Ingress, Pokémon GO and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite."
Best AR games to download
Here are some great augmented reality games for your iPad...
- Warhammer 40,000: Freeblade – this hugely popular 3D action game is set in the rich Warhammer universe, and has an AR mode that lets you bring the battle into the real world. (download)
- AR Runner – This sports game is designed to boost your fitness. Your iPhone overlays running routes on the world around you, prompting you to sprint through checkpoints and beat timers. And you can even compete with other players globally. (download)
- Euclidean Lands – A mind-bending puzzle game that requires shifting and rotating the world to solve. And there’s a great AR mode that lets you bring the puzzle into your living room. (download)
- AR Dragon – A great choice for kids, AR Dragon is like a Tamagotchi from the future. Players hatch and care for their own virtual dragon pets, and can play with it at home, in the office or on the street with augmented reality. (download)
- Laser Draw – This epic multiplayer game is like Pictionary but in augmented reality. Players draw images in mid-air, and your mates will see them on their own iPhones. It’s probably the most sci-fi game you can play at the pub. (download)
- To find other augmented reality games, open the App Store, press the Games tab, and then scroll down to AR Games.
Of course, Qualcomm and Niantic aren't the only firms working on smart glasses.
Facebook and Apple are both rumoured to be developing augmented reality specs – though neither has released a physical product.
Microsoft has already launched several versions of its HoloLens augmented reality headset.
And we've also seen a headset developed by Magic Leap that offers similar AR capabilities.
Then there was Google's ill-fated Glass headset, which has largely been dismantled as a consumer project.
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Would you wear a pair of smart Poké-specs? Let us know in the comments!
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