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Niantic and Sony partner to develop auditory AR technology

Ingress will be the first Niantic title to get the immersive AR audio treatment.

Chris Kerr, News Editor

February 16, 2022

1 Min Read

Pokemon Go developer Niantic has partnered with Sony to develop auditory AR technology.

Both companies will initially work together to create an immersive AR and sound experience for Niantic's augmented reality adventure, Ingress.

In a separate press release, Sony noted Ingress' auditory AR feature will be compatible with its LinkBuds true wireless headphones, suggesting the Japanese company will use the technology to sell audio hardware.

Hiroshi Nakamura, head of Sony's home entertainment and sound product business group, suggested the deal will also facilitate the development of more gaming experiences further down the line.

"We are very pleased to start collaborating in the AR field of sound with Niantic, which highly values the role of sound in the AR gaming experience. By linking Sony's Spatial Sound technology with Niantic's game content, we aim to deliver astonishing experiences that fuse reality with games through headphones."

Niantic currently has a number of high-profile AR titles in its roster, including Pokemon Go, Ingress, Pikmin Bloom, and Transformers: Heavy Metal.

About the Author

Chris Kerr

News Editor, GameDeveloper.com

Game Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.

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