Niantic's space for Peridots is expanding on Quest 3 headsets with a planned paid add-on that should arrive next year for Hello, Dot.
Niantic launched Hello, Dot in May this year as a free showpiece for Meta's mixed reality tools on Quest 3 headsets, with the app bringing one of the cute little digital creatures into the room with you. Just a few weeks ago, the company showed the digital pets in Peridot Beyond for the Spectacles AR glasses as well.
Now, the company behind Pokemon Go confirms to UploadVR their development team is iterating quickly on ideas to expand the Peridot experience on Quest 3 headsets, working in partnership with Meta. The hope is to introduce playdates with other Dots as well as cosmetics and toys for the creature, though Niantic warns the add-on could go through a lot of changes still.
Niantic shared with UploadVR a clip from an early work-in-progress build of an interaction they're exploring for the upcoming paid add-on. The video shows a machine in mixed reality that dispenses a pair of sunglasses for the Dot to wear.
Peridot is also available on iPhone and Android as a free game with a full set of activities to carry out with your Dots, including playing with them and dressing them up in various accessories. On phones, the game also features a component that sees players bringing their characters together to breed and hatch new kinds of "genetically unique" Dots.
We're a long way away from a future where you can have the same digital pet, whether a Pikachu or a Dot, that accompanies you across all your devices from your phone to your AR glasses and VR headset. Still, Niantic is following that path while exploring what makes a compelling gameplay loop with these Dots across both Snap's glasses and Meta's headsets.
"I see this bright future where a lot of different types of devices can be part of a broader type of experience," said Asim Ahmed, Global Product Marketing Lead for Niantic and the Peridot team.
Hello, Dot is available now for free on the Horizon Store for Quest 3 and 3S headsets.
