Not content with just making the biggest game in the world, Niantic is working alongside its development on Pokémon Go to push AR science, unveiling its latest technology, known as the Niantic Lightship VPS. This new program is designed to bridge the gap between the metaverse and browsers, helping developers to create new and exciting experiences.
Niantic Lightship VPS makes webAR technology available to consumers through a browser instead of an app, bringing the metaverse to them in easy ways. This allows devs to create new experiences while making it simpler for users to access AR and the metaverse wherever they are in the world. The aim is to simplify the process of bringing AR and the metaverse together, allowing devs to focus on other aspects of the experience.
Through the Lightship VPS program, devs can anchor digital assets to real-world locations, and create a new experience for their users. Developers can add assets to Niantic’s VPS (virtual positioning system) map, or make use of over 100,000 VPS-activated locations at launch. It all sounds very promising, and we can’t wait to see what devs can imagine with this new technology.
For a better idea of how this technology is used, you can head to Niantic’s Lightship AR YouTube channel and watch several videos showing proof of concept ideas and some great explanations.
If you want to get a better idea of Niantic’s work on Pokémon Go, you can also check out our Pokémon Go sixth anniversary Niantic interview, where we talk to the developer about how they have kept Pokémon Go so successful over the years and what comes next for the behemoth game.