Newsletter
Popular mobile shooter Guns of Boom has officially rolled out a new feature that allows users with compatible devices to utilize Google’s ARCore technology to spectate matches in augmented reality, having the arena appear in their living room, backyard, or anywhere else they can take their compatible phone or tablet. The new mode allows users to change perspective and track the ongoing battle at hand in real-time just by moving their device around. When the mode starts up, the user taps on the spot where they want the battlefield to populate, and from there, ARCore fixes the battlefield into the real world; walking in a circle around the skirmish will give you a full 360 degree view, while stooping down close to the action will bring your perspective closer and give you a more detailed look.
The new mode requires ARCore on your device, and right now, a small selection of devices supports the standard. If your device does have ARCore on board, you’ll be able to jump into a match as a spectator, then shift over to the augmented point of view using the same bottom menu that you normally use to switch perspectives, sitting between the rosters of players that you can click on to follow. You can use AR Spectator Mode in any match that you spectate, including matches found via Nearby, allowing you to watch a room full of friends or competitors duke it out in real-time.
The game update that brings this new perspective also brings a localization in traditional and simplified Chinese, just in time for the game’s launch in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. A beta test of the eSports-focused PRO Mode is also on board in this update for select users, and brings a number of features that will make life easier for eSports fans and commentators watching a game unfold. Guns of Boom reportedly has 35 million global users and counting as of this writing, and the new functionality is available to any of them who have a compatible device. This means that the game has leapfrogged Google’s ARCore technology to instantly bring a compelling use case for augmented reality to a large swath of the general public on a global scale.
