Game:

Pokémon Go (2016)

Duration: 6:40

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Pokémon Go gets better augmented reality thanks to ARKit on iOS.
Niantic has had crude augmented reality for its Pokémon Go mobile game from the outset. But soon it will launch an enhanced AR experience on iOS 11 smartphones using Apple’s new ARKit technology.

The company implemented AR in a way that wasn’t just a gimmick for an app that has been downloaded more than 800 million times. The enhanced AR improves the gameplay experience in tangible ways, such as depicting each Pokémon creature in full 3D. That way, you can sneak up behind a creature or move close to it in a stealthy way, allowing you to capture it more easily. If you rush toward a Pokémon, it may just flee. That sort of AR could help the game stand out further in the $50 billion mobile game market. The update will roll out within a matter of days.

“Our theme is getting people outside into the real world, and this fits the philosophy of the company,” said Niantic CEO John Hanke during a press event at the company’s headquarters in San Francisco. “We’re trying to do a nice job integrating ARKit into the game in a meaningful way. We are trying to bring a little bit of fantasy into the real world into everybody’s lives and incorporate physical real things in our environment.”

Above: Dean Takahashi with a Snorlax in Pokemon Go’s new AR feature.

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