Niantic acquires WebAR experts 8th Wall to expand metaverse platform

Niantic is continuing its evolution from an AR game developer to a complete platform for building metaverse experiences.

Once upon a time, Niantic was an exciting but relatively unknown company behind the pioneering (and highly underrated) AR game Ingress. Niantic then released Pokemon Go and was catapulted into the spotlight.

The hype around Pokemon Go may have faded but Niantic hasn’t stopped working. The company has been using its experience in live, large-scale AR...

11 March 2022 | Development Tools

Apple accidentally confirms ‘realityOS’ for its AR/VR headset

Apple has accidentally confirmed the existence of realityOS, an operating system for its unannounced AR/VR headset.

In open-source code pushed to GitHub by Apple this morning… well, just take a look:

https://twitter.com/stroughtonsmith/status/1491266972226490368

The company is said to have been working on an AR/VR headset for many years. The headset is said to offer an innovative experience with “seamless” switching between AR and VR modes.

All the...

9 February 2022 | Platforms

Kuo: Apple’s AR headset to have ‘significantly higher’ computing power than iPhone

Renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says the expected Apple AR headset will have “significantly higher” computing power than iPhone.

In a research note for investors, Kuo wrote: “Our latest survey indicates that each Apple AR/MR headset will adopt two CPUs made of 4nm and 5nm... which is higher than our previous estimation and market consensus of one."

The computing power of the device will mean that it will use the same 96W charger used for the 14-inch MacBook Pro. The...

11 January 2022 | Gaming

Kuo: Apple will launch its AR/VR headset next year with ‘Mac-level’ power

Renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims Apple’s long-rumoured AR/VR headset will debut next year with “Mac-level” power.

A research note from Kuo seen by MacRumours suggests the device will feature two processors to support its capabilities.

One processor is said to be similar to Apple’s debut in-house silicon, the M1. This chip will handle the device’s more demanding tasks.

A second, lower-end processor will be used to handle sensor...

26 November 2021 | Gaming

Lightship: Niantic empowers developers to start building the real-world metaverse

Niantic is opening its Lightship platform to empower developers to start building their visions for the real-world metaverse.

Metaverses have become an increasingly hot topic, especially since Facebook announced it was changing its company name to Meta to show its new focus.

As the creator of the world’s most popular AR game, Pokemon Go, it’s unsurprising that Niantic also wants to play its part in bringing metaverses to reality.

John Hanke, Founder and...

8 November 2021 | API

GDC: Developers judge 30% store cuts unfair, PS5 most interesting console

The latest report from the Game Developer Conference (GDC) provides various insights into how developers view the current gaming landscape.

GDC surveyed over 3,000 gaming industry professionals for its 2021 State of the Game Industry report.

Just three percent of developers felt it was fair for digital stores like Steam and GOG to take 30 percent of their revenue. However, perplexingly, three percent believe the platforms should take a larger cut.

62 percent of...

29 April 2021 | Gaming

Apple’s VR headset to launch as niche ‘precursor’ to mainstream AR glasses

Apple is preparing to debut its long-rumoured VR headset next year but the product will be a “pricey, niche precursor” to mainstream AR glasses.

The report comes from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and claims that Apple itself only expects to sell around one VR headset per store each day—putting Cupertino’s first major new product since the Apple Watch in the same sales league as the company’s other expensive products like the $5,999 Mac Pro (which ships around 180,000 units...

21 January 2021 | Developer

Google further opens Maps to developers, enables Pokemon Go-like games

Google has improved the access developers have to Maps, providing the ability to build things such as games which offer alternate versions of the real world.

The most obvious example of such a game is Niantic's Pokémon Go which, while not quite as viral as it once was, remains popular today.

Niantic was once a startup within Google – back when it was known for its less commercially-successful but still groundbreaking AR game, Ingress. The company offers a toolkit for...

16 June 2020 | Android

Study: Demand for AR/VR devs surges, Go is the most in-demand language

Careers website Hired has posted its latest annual “State of Software Engineers” report which highlights some fascinating industry trends. The most notable statistic in this year's report is an 1400 percent surge in demand for AR/VR talent. Given the release of acclaimed headsets like the Oculus Quest, and the anticipated release of a PSVR 2 later this year, it's perhaps unsurprising to see demand growing so rapidly. Salaries for AR/VR jobs range from $135k - $150k in major US tech hubs....

16 March 2020 | Blockchain

Facebook issues update following cancellation of ‘in-person’ F8 event over coronavirus

Facebook has issued an update following its decision to cancel this year’s F8 conference over coronavirus fears.

F8 is Facebook’s annual event to update the world on its plans for world domination. The event is developer-focused but users also watch the conference to learn about all the new apps, features, and even hardware coming their way.

In a blog post, Facebook wrote:

“Given the growing concerns around COVID-19, we’ve...

28 February 2020 | Platforms