Pokémon Go has officially launched for Apple's iOS and Google's Android devices and is available in the United States, United Kingdom and Germany, but not in most world regions including the franchise's birthplace in Japan. However, CapitolaVR has created a YouTube video that shows how the game would play on Microsoft's mixed reality headset. It is an unofficial demo and the gaming gadget will unlikely get the hit mobile game, but it shows the possible future of the augmented reality (AR) genre.
David Robustelli is CapitolaVR's head of digital. He told UploadVR that the Netherlands-based company has no plans to team up with Niantic Labs to port the GPS/AR game to the HoloLens holographic headset.
However, it is an interesting look at possible future versions of the AR game that has started Pokémon Go fever in the US and Europe. One day gamers might put down their smartphones and strap on high-tech goggles to chase the little monsters.
The concept video shows a gamer using the AR/VR headset's gesture-based tech to throw Poké Balls at classic Nintendo characters including Pikachu and Charmander.
CapitolaVR is now developing specific movements for various controls in Pokémon Go, such as zooming in on the mobile game's map.
However, the development of the HoloLens version will be limited. That is due to the difficulty of reproducing the popular video game's user interface, according to Polygon.
Microsoft's HoloLens headset is still in the works. The $3,000 HoloLens Development Edition was shipped to developers in spring 2016. Meanwhile, HTC Vive costs $800 and Oculus Rift is $600.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said earlier this week that public interest in Pokémon Go is a windfall for future AR projects. He hopes it will also increase interest in the HoloLens headset.
In related news, a hacking group has claimed it used a Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS) attack to cause Pokémon Go servers to crash on July 16, Saturday, according to The Independent. PoodleCorp tweeted it was behind the hack attack.
A DDOS crashes servers by flooding the machines with too many requests per second to process. Pokémon fans in the US and Europe took to social media to complain they were unable to access the game. The cyber group has also recently targeted famous YouTubers.
Pokémon Go is a free iOS and Android app. Earlier this week USA Today reported it has passed 15 million downloads, while it also has more daily active users than Candy Crush.
Here's the full demo of Pokemon Go on HoloLens: