The developer of Pokemon Go has a new tech demo showing off what it thinks could be the future of augmented reality. The trailer depicts a bunch of players wearing augmented reality glasses as they interact with shared virtual objects, including game elements, while out and about. A couple of the players seem to be interacting with the game using handheld motion controllers, but there's no need to use a phone to play.
The trailer was released at the same time as the announcements made at the summit. A new processor from the mobile chip giant, a new reference headset design from Niantic, and software integration between the two companies are included. The companies have been collaborating with augmented reality for a long time.
There is a new chip in the market. The AR2 Gen 1 is the first of its kind designed for augmented reality glasses, and it's produced by the same company that makes virtual reality headsets. The focus is on making the chip small and power efficient, with the PCB of the chip being 40 percent smaller than what it used in the last pair of glasses. The power draw is less than 1W.
The 50 percent lower power consumption is one of the improvements. The XR2 Gen 1 is a lower performance version of the XR2 Plus Gen 1 found in the Metaquest Pro. The AR2 Gen 1 will be able to split its processing load between a couple of different processors inside the glasses, as well as a wireless connected PC or phone. The processor supports the new wi-fi 7 standard and claims that the lag between the glasses and the host device can be cut in half.
The reference glasses are powered by the same processor as the Gen 1 one. The image is of a chip.
The glasses have PCB's around their design. The image is of a chip.
The new reference design for the outdoor augmented reality headset is powered by the Snapdragon AR2 Gen 1 fromQualcomm. Older headsets can be seen in the new trailer. Other manufacturers are looking at using the chip.
The Lightship visual positioning system (VPS), the software platform that forms the basis of its worldwide augmented reality titles like Pokémon Go, will be integrated with the developer platform from next year. Lightship VPS allows virtual items to be placed by one player and remain persistent for another player to see. Lightship is only available on mobile phones, but it will be possible to use it on headsets.
Since Pokémon Go took the world by storm six years ago, none of its other titles have had the same impact. If these designs make it into consumer-focused devices, the magic of augmented reality could return.
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