Niantic is now licencing out the AR tech behind Pokémon GO

Niantic has announced that it is now licensing out The Niantic Lightship Augmented Reality Developer Kit (ARDK), the AR tech behind their hit game Pokémon GO.

The Lightship ARDK brings together the tools and technology required to produce AR titles: Real-Time Mapping, Understanding and Sharing.  Essentially, developers will be able to create real-time 3D mesh maps using smartphone cameras, enable digital objects to interact correctly with real-world surfaces and create AR sessions supporting up to five players concurrently.

Niantic is offering the Lightship ARDK for free to all developers for the first 6 months, starting in May 2022. Niantic will charge for multiplayer APIs with over 50,000 monthly active users.

Niantic also announced the launch of Niantic Ventures,  a $20 million fund that will invest in companies “that are helping to build the future of AR.”

“Transforming humanity’s relationship with technology by merging the physical and virtual worlds will require the ideas and perspectives of as many people as possible,” said John Hanke, Founder and CEO of Niantic. “That’s why we’re so excited to open the vault of technology that powers our own games, so developers, creators and brands globally can build inclusive experiences that push the boundaries of what’s possible in AR.”