Playing ‘Pokémon Go’ looks a lot more fun with a HoloLens 2

Remember when we used to think finding Pokémon out in the wild using our phones and augmented reality was the coolest thing ever? Well, Niantic, the software development company behind Pokémon Go, just kicked the entire experience up a notch — by using holograms. 

At Ignite 2021, Microsoft’s annual developer conference, Niantic announced it’s working with the tech giant to create new augmented reality experiences. As an example, the company unveiled a proof-of-concept Pokémon Go video.  

In the clip, you can see Niantic CEO, John Hanke, walking through a garden wearing a HoloLens 2. After walking past a bunch of Pokémon holograms (including Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur), he pulls up a menu by holding his wrist in front of the headset, and taps on an icon of Pikachu who “materializes” in front of him. With another tap on the same menu, Hanke also feeds cute little Pikachu a strawberry.

It ends with Hanke meeting up with Veronica Saron, global product marketing manager for Pokémon Go, who is also wearing a HoloLens 2 and has Eevee nearby. Naturally, she challenges him to a Pokémon battle. Sadly, we don’t get to see who wins but my bets are on Pikachu.

The demo uses Microsoft Mesh, which is Microsoft’s new mixed reality cloud service that was also announced at Ignite. In conjunction with the HoloLens 2, users can upload 3D models to Mesh and then share them with others (also wearing the headset) in the same virtual space.

Again, this demo is just an example of what Niantic can create with Microsoft Mesh. So, there’s no guarantee this version of Pokémon Go will be available to consumers. Let’s just hope that if it does ever come out, the $3,500 HoloLens 2 will be a lot more affordable.