“Stop calling Pokémon Go AR,” say the purists. But who cares what you call something that’s so successful? Just be glad it happened, and let’s find out what it means for the AR/VR industry.

Pokémon Go is the AR/VR quirk everyone has been waiting for, but it looks a lot different than everyone expected. It’s not space glasses from the future, it’s not high-tech, it doesn’t require new hardware, and it’s free. Who saw that coming?

It would be fair to say that even Pokémon Go developer Niantic did not, as despite its enormous success, overwhelming user demand led to reports of significant server downtime at launch (not helped by DDoS attacks).

But the great thing about Pokémon Go is that hundreds of millions of consumers ages 8 to 80 around the world have played it, watched others play it in bewilderment, or read about strange experiences with it in the miles of spine inches and the vast number of electrons devoted to it. by the main media. AR/VR is no longer the creature of industry insiders, innovators, and early adopters (or TechCrunch readers). AR/VR became a mainstream phenomenon in less than a week, and it did so years before the most optimistic experts in the industry thought it would (including us).

So why has Pokémon Go been so successful?

First, Pokémon has a precious place in our hearts. Millennials grew up with it, watched over by doting Gen X parents and baby boomer grandparents—it’s a brand that’s everywhere.

Second, a ubiquitous platform. We are approaching 4 billion mobile broadband subscriptions for smartphones and tablets this year, a platform that is everywhere.

Third, a quick core user loop. It’s not the Pokemon you played as a kid. It’s even more accessible: a central user loop that works for everyone.

Fourth, a purely mobile experience. You can play it wherever you go, and wherever you go is part of why you play it. And that is the key not only to the success of Pokémon Go, but also to the success of all of AR. Augmented reality is inherently mobile, and mobility has driven much of the technological innovation of the past decade.

AR is from Mars, VR is from Venus

But still, purists will tell you: “Pokémon Go is not AR.” So are they right or wrong?

Let’s review some definitions. Virtual reality places users inside the virtual world, immersing them. Augmented reality superimposes virtual objects on the user’s real world, augmenting it. Although closely related to AR, mixed reality anchors seemingly solid virtual objects into the user’s real world. Then they appear to the user as real. So far, so simple.

But the technology is a bit more diverse than it seems at first glance. Digi-Capital’s Reality Matrix segments the market using a few basic definitions:

• Virtual: The real world is locked (i.e. the user can only see the virtual world and virtual objects)
• Augmented: The real world is not locked (ie the user can see the real world and virtual objects)
• Immersive: The technology boosters (too deep in the weeds – see more here) combine to trick the user’s brain into reacting as if it were a real experience.
• Ambient: One or more of the technology drivers do not provide the same level of experience as Immersive (Note: this may be desirable, particularly for some augmented reality applications)

The Reality Matrix is ​​made up of four sectors, with some players operating through them to meet different user needs:

Console/PC VR makes users jump out of the way when a virtual whale swims towards them under the sea (eg HTC Vive, Oculus, PlayStation VR); Mobile VR offers a very good VR experience, but is not as immersive due to key factors such as positional tracking (eg Samsung Gear VR, Google Cardboard, and Daydream); Augmented Reality ranges from the holographic screen equivalent of Iron Man with transparent virtual objects in the real world in daylight (eg Atheer) to “magic window” AR for smartphones/tablets (eg. g., Google Project Tango); Mixed Reality gives users virtual objects that appear solid in the real world in daylight (eg Microsoft HoloLens, Magic Leap, Meta), or easily switch between AR and VR (eg ODG)

But where does this leave Pokémon Go?

It’s augmented reality, Jim, but not as we know it.

Here’s the part where the purists get upset (and not just because of The Firm’s Star Trek misquote). So I’m just going to say it.

Pokémon Go is AR. Just a very basic version of it.

In many ways, Pokemon Go is just location-based entertainment, and not AR in the way people in the industry think about it. But that is the point. It’s not about industry people anymore. It’s all about public perception.

And the public thinks that Pokémon Go is AR. That’s how it is.

It doesn’t matter what you call it when you’re walking around the neighborhood with your friends hunting Pokémon. It doesn’t matter that the technology is old school (GPS, clock, camera). It doesn’t matter that there’s no fancy optics, SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping), advanced computer vision, or other technological wizardry involved. None of that matters.

Because it’s fun. And it is everywhere. And people think it’s AR whether you like it or not. So deal with it.

Everything and nothing

So what does Pokémon Go mean for AR/VR development?

In terms of consumer acceptance, it’s monumental. People who would not have known or tried VR/AR/MR for years are actively participating in the market today. It’s tremendously good for the industry, because there is now a mass market consumer awareness.

For app developers, everyone is scrambling to figure out whether or not they can jump on the bandwagon. People who were on the fence about devoting resources to VR/AR/MR are now at least thinking about it. And the budding engineers who are deciding what to do with their careers are being influenced by it. For the talent that’s flowing into the market, that’s a big help.

For the major VR/AR/MR tech companies (ie the hardware guys), Pokémon Go has had little impact on the way the technology develops. All the challenges remain, and AR still needs that magical combination of hero device, long battery life, cellular capability, strong app ecosystem, and telecom cross-subsidies before it can really take off (circa 2018, according to current roadmaps). ).

For investors, it’s been very exciting and very confusing. Pokémon Go is a very specific app with a lot going for it. Difficult to replicate at scale. Nintendo’s stock has been seen as more of a yoyo than a Pokéball. So while there are more rumors in the market than there were already (if that’s even possible), the underlying thinking of VCs is largely unchanged.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said it best: “AR can be really cool. We have been and continue to invest heavily in this. We’re high on AR for the long haul. We think there’s great things in store for customers and a great business opportunity… it’s going to be huge.”

One small step for Pokémon, one giant leap for Pokémon.