Apple’s Vision Pro is an expensive piece of hardware, but it shows the interest in XR (the combined term for VR and AR) is still there. You don’t need a three-grand headset either, as apps like Mirrorscape work for iOS and Android.
It’s Mirrorscape that Paizo is now working with, and the news today is that both Pathfinder and Starfinder will be coming to the Mirrorscape extended reality platform.
Paizo won’t be alone; the augmented reality platform will include virtual assets from Reaper, Hero Forge and Dwarven Forge.
Mirrorscape, like Paizo, are open gaming publishers, so the combination should trailblaze for others.
Mirrorscape co-founder and COO Don Bland told the press;
Our platform is designed to combine the tabletop gaming experience beloved by players across the world with emerging technologies that make gaming as immersive, enjoyable and accessible as possible. Open gaming is our vision, and the addition of Paizo’s legendary set of titles will further enhance the experience available on Mirrorscape, while also giving Paizo’s widespread and immensely loyal fanbase more ways to play.”
We’re expecting the Mirrorscape platform to be ready by the summer. It’s nearly summer, right? Mirrorscape has been in development for four years and started with open licenses and homebrew in mind.
Paizo Publisher Erik Mona added;
Bringing Paizo’s titles to Mirrorscape allows us to replicate the true-to-life, around-the-table experience that our fans have enjoyed for decades in an astonishing virtual experience. The team at Mirrorscape has dedicated a tremendous amount of time and effort into keeping the Paizo experience as realistic and original as possible on the platform, and we are thrilled to contribute to the growth of such a unique and exciting development in virtual tabletop gaming.”
Mirrorscape announced a partnership with Qualcomm last year to work on AR glasses with D&D in mind. A news release from then said;
The newly introduced ARcana is a 5e-compatible worldbuilding and visualization engine that replicates the classic tabletop experience many know and love, but in augmented reality.
The AR glasses are mentioned in the Paizo news, noting headsets and the extra hand and eye-tracking these devices could offer. There are VR headsets (which aren’t the same thing) on Amazon Prime Day, some with up to £100 off, but not many, and that’s an interesting health check on the state of the tech.
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