The classic battle system that Pokemon has been known for quite a while has emerged recently in something that is truly new: augmented reality. Armed with a development kit for the Microsoft Hololens, programmer and a "Pokemon Go" fan @kennywdev has successfully created a platform geared towards "Pokemon Go" trainers who would like to experience the game a bit closer to real life.
In the video posted below, a head tracker is integrated into the augmented reality platform and creates a simulation of the "Pokemon Go" battle system called PokeLens. With PokeLens, "Pokemon Go" players are able to play the game in any environment through an intuitive interface.
The inputs are tracked through hand gestures which are coded into the system. The environment is then populated as Pokemon appear around a certain area whose size is pre-indicated, WinBeta reports. The wearer then proceeds to use special attacks, quick attacks, and Pokeball captures, much like the way it used to be played in the classic consoles.
Kenny W, an independent game developer, has been working on other Pokemon-related virtual reality apps for some time now. An example of his recent work includes a plexiglass prism which made image tracking and projection for rudimentary 3D Pokemon scenes possible. On the corporate end, a company named CapitolaVR has released an exciting concept video midway through this year. With Niantic Labs' focus at the moment on their own augmented reality game, an integration with visuals looks like the next logical step.
Though the release is just and unofficial fan project right now, it may not be far behind from being adopted into Niantic Labs' suite of future programming plans. As Gamespot has reported, a "Pokemon Go" Battle Mode update is already in the works. The future of AR gaming is yet to be explored, and players right now are scouring every possible angle they could tweak and build on.
