Disney is bringing ‘Star Wars’ to augmented reality
“Star Wars” fans may soon know what it’s like to wield a lightsaber, thanks to a new augmented reality game.
The company announced at D23, its annual expo, that it’s teaming up with Lenovo Group Ltd. to create a series of AR experiences that will include turning your living room into an intergalactic standoff with rebel forces.
At the moment, details are lean as to what the headset will be capable of in terms of gaming, although the intention is to bring about the kind of immersive experience that Microsoft Corp. demonstrated a couple of years ago with its HoloLens and Minecraft.
The major difference in terms of hardware is that HoloLens is a self-sufficient system, whereas Disney’s “Star Wars: Jedi Challenges” will link up to a smartphone. That should at least make the experience affordable. Right now it’s unknown if the headset will run other AR or VR games or if it’s designed for “Star Wars” alone.
The company also showed off a game in which Jedi were pitted against the famous All Terrain Armored Transport. But given the slow development of AR gaming, a full-on “Star Wars” experience in the living room might be a way off yet.
If striking down stormtroopers is not your thing, Disney also demoed a holochess game whose pieces are holographic monsters that move around on top of a real-world surface.
Disney hasn’t given any details as to when we’ll see the headset or how much it will cost, only saying that it’s coming soon.
Image: Disney
Since you’re here …
… We’d like to tell you about our mission and how you can help us fulfill it. SiliconANGLE Media Inc.’s business model is based on the intrinsic value of the content, not advertising. Unlike many online publications, we don’t have a paywall or run banner advertising, because we want to keep our journalism open, without influence or the need to chase traffic.The journalism, reporting and commentary on SiliconANGLE — along with live, unscripted video from our Silicon Valley studio and globe-trotting video teams at theCUBE — take a lot of hard work, time and money. Keeping the quality high requires the support of sponsors who are aligned with our vision of ad-free journalism content.
If you like the reporting, video interviews and other ad-free content here, please take a moment to check out a sample of the video content supported by our sponsors, tweet your support, and keep coming back to SiliconANGLE.