'Pokémon GO' Will Support Apple's ARKit on iOS 11
In this week's Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple has finally introduced a long-time requested augmented reality platform that is now called ARKit, and "Pokémon GO" will definitely use it.
The ARKit allows developers and consumers create AR pieces of content without the need for high-end devices. The ARKit will run on iPads and iPhones powered by A9 chips and later running on iOS 11.
As Apple explained, the said processors "deliver breakthrough performance that enables fast scene understanding and lets you build detailed and compelling virtual content on top of real-world scenes."
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"Pokémon GO" is undoubtedly one of the most successful and early apps to use AR technology. Experts and players are expecting "Pokémon GO" to greatly benefit from it.
The arrival of ARKit is hoped to result to more detailed 3D images of the Pokémon characters and a more realistic gaming interface.
Currently, while "Pokémon GO" is already making use of the basic elements of AR through smartphone cameras, there are still a lot of areas to improve on, such as accuracy of the characters' positioning whenever they pop up.
Players have surely noticed that these days, Pokémon characters are often spotted off the surface when they appear. However, reports expect that it will incredibly improve and trainers will soon look at Pikachu walking or running with its feet attached to the ground.
Meanwhile, reports also speculated that a lot of other apps will soon support the ARKit on iOS 11. For example, the Ikea app with AR features would be a great convenience. It will probably let users see how furniture will actually fit in a home space before making the purchase.
This is because the ARKit will have the ability to analyze actual space and surface. As also explained by Apple, "ARKit can detect horizontal planes like tables and floors, and can track and place objects on smaller feature points as well."
Added to that, "ARKit also makes use of the camera sensor to estimate the total amount of light available in a scene and applies the correct amount of lighting to virtual objects."
Apple has yet to announce when the final version of ARKit goes live. Meanwhile, people can test the product now by first installing the latest beta versions of iOS 11 and Xcode 9.
