The Company Behind Pokémon Go Is Making AR Glasses

Niantic is collaborating with Qualcomm on a new augmented reality wearable.

Immersive Gaming

Niantic, the company that created augmented reality games including the undying Pokémon Go and the much more forgettable Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, is now developing a new pair of AR glasses.

The company announced on Thursday that it's partnering up with the tech company Qualcomm to create the glasses, according to CNET. As Apple and Facebook also work toward their own smart glasses in bids to succeed where Google Glass spectacularly failed, Niantic is entering the fray and creating a new design that will use Qualcomm's new mixed reality chip, all in an attempt to finally make AR wearables happen.

Licensing Play

Niantic and Qualcomm haven't explained how the glasses might be used — and, arguably more importantly, it remains unclear whether they'll be compatible with Pokémon Go.

Rather, CNET reports that the companies seem to be developing glasses that other companies could license and sell rather than actually manufacturing them.

"We build a reference design to enable other hardware manufacturers to commercialize." Qualcomm head of mixed reality Hugo Swart told CNET.

READ MORE: New smart glasses coming from Qualcomm and Pokemon Go creator Niantic [CNET]

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