We’re entering a new chapter in augmented reality, and I’m thrilled to share Niantic’s partnership with Snap as one of their first launch partners for the fifth generation of Spectacles.
Niantic is committed to building for the future of spatial computing hardware. We’re working with a range of partners, getting in early to understand, design and develop the types of experiences we’d like to see as these platforms become more mature and ubiquitous.
Spectacles provide a glimpse into the future of indoor and outdoor AR glasses. Our collaboration with Snap is another step in redefining how we engage with the world around us. Our visions are aligned and by combining Niantic’s expertise in location-based AR with Snap’s advanced hardware, we’re not just part of the AR landscape—we’re actively helping to shape its evolution.
This future is aligned with Niantic’s vision for augmented reality: one that enables hands-free and heads-up exploration, exercise, and building real-world connections and communities.
Peridot: Bringing Virtual Pets to Life
Peridot Beyond is Niantic’s first game built for true outdoor-friendly augmented reality glasses. This experience is a reimagined version of our AR pet simulation game, specifically designed for Spectacles, and will be available on Spectacles in the US on the day of launch. Attendees at the Snap Partner Summit will be among the first to experience the whimsical world of Peridot through Spectacles.
With your Dots by your side, you’ll be able to embark on outdoor adventures—pet them up close, explore with them to discover food, and play catch. It’s an engaging experience that fosters connection, with new features to come, like the ability for multiple players to interact with their Dots together in real life.
Peridot continues to delight users across all its formats, and you can read more about it here.
Scaniverse: Sharing Your World in 3D
With the recent release of Niantic Scaniverse 4 for iOS, we’ve invited the world to scan and share their world in 3D on a global map. Using a technology called Gaussian splatting, these 3D pictures are impressively realistic, and you can process the whole image right on your phone without limits, for free.
Now, users can import these images—they’re called splats—straight from their phones into Lens Studio, allowing any place, moment, or memory captured to be experienced through the Spectacles. This integration opens up new possibilities for creators to transform the way we see and interact with the world in 3D, making everyday environments and objects more interactive and accessible through augmented reality.
Looking Ahead
This is an incredibly exciting time for AR, with huge strides being made toward a future where outdoor AR glasses enable us to stop looking down at our phones and start looking up to better appreciate our beautiful world! To all the brilliant minds in the developer community: the canvas is yours.