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Watch out, Apple and ARKit. Google’s getting into the AR dev kit game — and bringing augmented reality to potentially 2 billion Android devices.
On Tuesday, Google announced ARCore, its answer to Apple’s ARKit. It’s in preview mode right now and works with a small slice of Android devices, and Google’s working with a bunch of manufacturers to help their devices conform to ARCore’s requirements. And Google already has an AR platform with Tango, something Apple does not have, and Daydream VR device, another asset that the iPhone company lacks.
ARCore also supports Epic Games’ Unreal Engine and Unity, two important tools for making games.
But now mobile AR designers face a question: Do you target iOS, which is one consistent standard, or Android, with its fleet of devices and manufacturers? While a number of observers see AR or mixed reality becoming the dominant tech in the future, some see room for both. AR is also seeing nice growth this year with enterprise users.
And what’s the common thread here? Google and Android, with devices, SDKs, and platforms, are ready for both … while Apple appears to be charging forward with AR and waiting for partners to build devices that take ARKit out of the phone and to the next level.
Like Apple, Microsoft has made its bet on AR … and it’s showing how important this fledgling tech is by putting the next Halo experience in Windows Mixed Reality. Halo is Microsoft’s most important video game property, and giving it the AR treatment shows how the Xbox company is all-in on it over VR.
For AR/VR coverage, send news tips to Dean Takahashi and Jeff Grubb (for those that cross over into PC gaming). Please send guest post submissions to Rowan Kaiser. Please be sure to visit our AR/VR Channel.
–Jason Wilson, GamesBeat managing editor
P.S. Here’s a reminder of how AR works on Apple’s iPad.
From GamesBeat
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Google launches ARCore SDK in preview: AR on Android phones, no extra hardware required
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Cyan partners with Legendary Pictures to add backstory to Obduction
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8th Wall raises $2.4 million for augmented reality tools
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A new Halo is coming to Windows Mixed Reality
Microsoft is working on a Halo virtual reality experience for its Windows Mixed Reality platform. Developer 343 Industries, the studio responsible for overseeing Halo, has previously created demonstrations for the HoloLens augmented-reality headset that is still in early testing at Microsoft. But now, the 343 team is developing a Halo game that is among the […]
Despite doomsayers, smartphones will be essential for AR’s evolution
With Apple’s recent introduction of ARKit, developers have rushed to create seriously impressive AR demos for the iPhone. This has resulted in some futurists and techies proclaiming that the age of the smartphone has ended and that the takeover of AR smart glasses is not only inevitable but also imminent. However, rumors of the smartphone’s […]
Beyond GamesBeat
Google’s Clay Bavor: Our Goal ‘Is To Make AR Mainstream’
Today, Google is announcing ARCore, a software-based solution for making more Android devices AR-capable without the need for depth sensors and extra cameras. It will even work on the Google Pixel, Galaxy S8, and several other devices very soon and supports Java, Unity, and Unreal from day one. In short, it’s kind of like Google’s answer to Apple’s ARKit. (via Upload VR)
Iowa State Athletics Will Use A Concussion-Detecting VR Headset
With every sports technology company hard at work to find a solution for player concussions, it’s no surprise that VR would eventually make its way into the fold. Where many organizations are focused on protecting brains and preventing any damaging effects, especially with football protective gear, one group in particular is using VR to quickly and efficiently detect trauma to the head directly from the sidelines. In fact the technology is so promising that Iowa State University has already announced plans to integrate the technology into their popular sports program. (via VR Scout)
Now Dell has a mixed reality headset, and the XPS 13 has 8th-gen Intel CPUs
Dell has a wide array of products under its name and brands, including Alienware, but the company has never had its own mixed reality headset until now. Dell announced the Dell Visor ahead of this year’s IFA conference, along with a number of updates to its XPS and Inspiron systems. Most notably, all of Dell’s updated laptops and convertibles will have 8th-generation Intel processors, making them some of the first devices to launch with the new CPUs later this year. (via Ars Technica)
‘Dance Tonite’ is an Excellent (and groovy) Showcase of WebVR’s Potential
Amsterdam-based interactive designer Jonathan Puckey and Studio Moniker’s collaboration with Google’s Data Arts Team has produced a compelling experience called Dance Tonite, which runs from a single website and offers something for everyone from mobile to desktop to VR. Users with VR headsets can view and participate in an ‘ever-changing’ interactive performance of LCD Soundsystem’s single Tonite. (via Road to VR)
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