Meta Quest 3 gets Mixed Reality virtual pets from developers of Pokémon Go
Niantic, the studio behind the wildly successful Pokémon Go, has just announced a Mixed Reality virtual pet experience for Meta Quest 3. ‘Hello, Dot’ is part of Niantic’s Peridot franchise of AR (Augmented Reality) pets.
This new entry will be a step up in immersion when it comes to raising and caring for a virtual pet. Instead of a tiny phone screen you’ll now see your pet in stereoscopic 3D. You’ll also see it in more detail and get a sense of scale for its size.
Like Peridot, virtual pets in ‘Hello, Dot’ will also interact with the environment. And using the Quest 3’s hand tracking you will be able to interact with your virtual pet like never before.
This new entry will be a step up in immersion when it comes to raising and caring for a virtual pet. Instead of a tiny phone screen you’ll now see your pet in stereoscopic 3D. You’ll also see it in more detail and get a sense of scale for its size.
Imagine being able to hook your hands under your Dot’s arms and pick them up – and then toss them up and and let them float back down into your embrace.
— Niantic, App Lab store page, May 2024
It’s certainly an interesting concept. Asim Ahmed, Global Product Marketing Lead at Niantic, says the company is only getting started. Apparently Niantic has a lot of plans for virtual pets as AR glasses and headsets evolve.
However, the app is currently only available in Meta’s App Lab and not the Horizon Store. Suggesting it still needs some work before it’s ready for full release. The trailer also didn’t show any gameplay, focusing more on how lifelike the virtual pets are going to look.
Aww, who’s a good virtual pet?
Pokémon Go was extremely popular when it first launched. People could live out their dreams of traveling the world and becoming a Pokémon master. ‘Hello, Dot’ is somewhat similar except I don’t see a social aspect to it like Pokémon Go had. One of the best parts of Pokémon Go was people gathering in certain spots to catch a rare Pokémon.
I’m sure ‘Hello, Dot’ will be quite popular amongst fans of Peridot. But I do hope it makes its way to other VR headsets and introduces a social aspect too. You can get ‘Hello, Dot’ here for Meta Quest 3.
I’m sure ‘Hello, Dot’ will be quite popular amongst fans of Peridot. But I do hope it makes its way to other VR headsets and introduces a social aspect too. You can get ‘Hello, Dot’ here for Meta Quest 3.
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