Pokémon Go developer Niantic could be working on new AR glasses

The creators of the popular augmented reality mobile game Pokémon Go may be working on some new hardware to go along with its AR games. A tweet from Niantic founder and CEO John Hanke shows what looks like a pair of glasses with something that looks like a speaker on the bottom.

In a short message on Twitter, Hanke says that it is “Exciting to see the progress we’re making to enable new kinds of devices that leverage our platform…” Niantic is a company that is known for its AR platform, with games like Pokémon Go and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite being major hits on mobile devices. Having a first-party wearable device could help the company catapult its AR gaming experience to the top.

READ MORE: Pokémon Go developer is making a location-based NBA game

Exciting to see the progress we’re making to enable new kinds of devices that leverage our platform… pic.twitter.com/yYglk4q89G

— John Hanke (@johnhanke) March 29, 2021

This is not the first time that Niantic has delved into the wearable headset world. In late 2019, the company collaborated with Qualcomm to develop an Extended Reality platform for 5G based on Niantic’s AR gaming platform. According to The Verge, Niantic also recently demoed Pokémon Go on the Microsoft HoloLens. It seems that Niantic is comfortable with AR wearables, and developing its own hardware seems like the next logical step.

READ MORE: Peridot is the new Tamagotchi-style mobile game from Niantic

There is no real confirmation or even any details about AR glasses from Niantic. However, a tweet from the CEO certainly points to the idea that the company is at least considering a product like this. The fact that it comes so close on the heels of the Pikmin game announcement might also be more than coincidence.

Virtual and augmented reality are really beginning to make some headway in the gaming market, and Niantic has always been one of the innovators of the genre. Games like Pokémon Go and the newly announced Pikmin game could certainly benefit from AR glasses, and who better to develop them than the company behind the games.

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