Niantic, the company that created augmented reality games, including popular undying Pokemon Go and much more, revealed a new outdoor AR headset development using Qualcomm’s latest snapdragon AR2 chips in collaboration with Qualcomm. Niantic Founder and CEO John Hanke is betting on AR glasses being the thing after smartphones.
Niantic’s demo video shows off their headsets, which look like thin goggles with a pair of controllers interacting with the characters. Imagine playing Pokemon Go upgraded for smart glasses, where Pokemon wander through your local park, seeming to inhabit the world. How cool is that? and Of course, gamers seem excited about AR glasses.
Niantic details Qualcomm powers the headset. Qualcomm has previously demonstrated AR concepts that employ the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 1, the popular VR chip that drives the Quest 2. Likewise, Niantic’s gear is powered by the AR2 Gen 1, which Qualcomm unveiled along with the demo.
The company has a vision, just like Meta, to connect with people and places around us in a meaningful way, but presently, it is only promising cool apps. Niantic believes people are ready for the future; nevertheless, the headset’s design is not ideal for everyday use as the headset is still an early reference design, and there’s more to come as we look ahead.
