And if you could play Pokémon Go without holding a phone? What if you could fight alongside your friends, no matter where they are in the world? This is something we experienced at the Microsoft Ignite conference today, when Niantic CEO John Hanke demonstrated what the game could look like on the HoloLens 2 AR headset. But getting to that device was not the only leap – the demo was also developed by Microsoft’s Mesh platform, an easy way for developers to create their own collaborative virtual spaces. Rather than just being a solution for remote work meetings, the Pokémon Go demo shows us how Mesh can also reshape the way we socialize and play remotely.
The demo was just a proof of concept, not something really running on HoloLens 2, but it is a sign of things to come. While wearing the headset, Hanke walked through a park and found a wild Pikachu. He opened his palm – usually where HoloLens apps put their menus – highlighted a strawberry and fed it. As he walked, he could see other wild Pokémon strolling. The demonstration ended when he met a colleague, who challenged him to battle. Even if this was a crude demonstration, it would have been nice to take a closer look at what a real fight would be like.
Niantic / Microsoft