Tag: augmented reality games

Augmented reality may be the future of PS4

| May 5, 2014

Sony has been making some teasing remarks about this technology for its popular console.

The PlayStation Japan blog has just released an update that includes a number of videos that have revealed several different augmented reality experiments that the electronics giant has been conducting with its PlayStation 4 console and its camera device peripheral product.

The experiments include a number of different types of purposes for the AR technology.

For example, among the augmented reality experiments was one for fluid simulation, which was demonstrated in the video. It worked when the user held up a white card, which appeared on the display as a virtual cube that held water. That digital water could then be poured into a second container, which was also only virtually created. This illustrates a number of different challenging concepts that hold a considerable amount of potential to the console and mobile gaming worlds.

The videos went on to demonstrate the way that augmented reality can be used for a realistic experience.


For example, one of the videos showed AR dynamic lighting that was demonstrated through the PlayStation 4. In this video, the user had a light source in real life, which appeared to illuminate a dinosaur that was appearing virtually. This technology was not just for light, but also a range of different colors.

The PlayStation Japan also went on to discuss the “trading card recognition” work that Sony has been pursuing. This AR recognition tech demonstration uses AR in order to be able to recognize a trading card’s pattern in high speed and to then be able to display the character and play music related to that character, nearly immediately. That specific function was not demonstrated within the videos in the blog post.

The blog also underscored different two augmented reality demos that used the PlayStation Vita. The first was a demonstration of a diorama of the Narita Airport. It used an actual flight schedule from that airport and gave users the chance to see virtual planes that were taking off and landing as viewed through the PS Vita when aimed at the diorama. The second demo involved the so-called “VitaHoloPoP”, which is a “Super Cyber transmission box” that would use the PS Vita to project virtual images of various character figurines in a hologram-like way, into a display case in real life.

Augmented reality games think outside the box

| January 17, 2014

PlayStation Vita now has an AR experience called “Open Me!”

PlaysStation Vita has now joined the consoles that are offering augmented reality games to their players, allowing the device camera to make it appear as though virtual elements are functioning within the real world.

This use of AR technology has already proven to be successful in the launch of the Nintendo 3DS.

Now, Open Me! is an augmented reality game that is available on PlayStation Vita and is being seen as one of the best attempts to show that using AR tech can give consumers and gamers a “good time.” This experience involves a number of different locked box puzzles, each of which has been rendered in 3D.

This augmented reality game uses an AR marker card to establish the position of the box in front of the player.

augmented reality games puzzle boxUsing the marker card lets the player use the Vita mobile device to be able to examine the puzzle box from any angle he or she would like. The purpose is to be able to identify the switch, button, or combination of those two things, which will allow the box to open. The earliest puzzles are the simplest, to allow the user to become used to the concept.

Once the basics have been learned, the designs of the puzzle boxes become increasingly complex. Among the options are certain examples that force the player to “think outside the box”, such as a cuckoo clock that requires the user to catch onto the fact that he or she must set the time on the clock to match that in the real world in order to open it correctly.

That said, there are also some puzzles that aren’t quite taking full advantage of what an augmented reality game has to offer, in that the controls of the game are not quite up to the precision level that is required in order to be able to complete the puzzle. Beyond that, there are certain boxes that need two Vita players to work together on a shared puzzle to be able to open them up – which is great as long as the user knows someone else with the same device and skill level.