Snapchat Announces New Features for Its AR Spectacles

While Apple and Meta are developing the next stage of AR wearables, Snapchat also remains a key player in the AR glasses race, with its own Spectacles, which have now been on the market for close to a decade, now up to its fifth generation.

And while the latest, AR-enabled Spectacles are not available to general consumers as yet, and are still in early testing with approved developers, Snapchat has today announced some new AR features and projects for its AR glasses, including GPS-powered effects, which will add another element to Snap’s visual enhancements.

As you can see in this example, with GPS and GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), Snap’s AR spectacles will be able to power new, location-aligned effects, like overlaying directions on your view.

It’ll also power more collaborative interactive games, like Niantic’s “Peridot Beyond”, which is like Pokemon Go in AR view.

As explained by Snap:

“With multiplayer [on Peridot Beyond], you can now see and interact with your Dot and your friends’ Dots in the same session. This update also connects Spectacles and the Peridot mobile game, allowing progression within the AR glasses experience to reward you on mobile.”

The additional tracking options have also empowered new functionality, like a holographic AR basketball coach for shooting drills, which automatically tracks your score. 

Snapchat’s also rolling out additional functionality for AR lens creation, including leaderboards that can be integrated into effects, AR keyboard option, improved hand tracking, updated Lens unlocking processes, and more.

Snap’s also rolling out new incentives for Lens developers, with “Spectacles Community Challenges.”

“Now, Spectacles developers can win cash prizes for submitting new or updating existing Lenses, which are judged on engagement, technical excellence, and Lens quality. We’ve teamed up with the AR marketing platform Lenslist so that eligible Spectacles developers can participate. Each month, over $20,000 will be going to the developers of 10 different projects, including the top 5 new Lenses, top 5 updated Lenses, and top open source Lens.” 

Which is interesting, and should provide more incentive for AR Lens development. Though given that its AR glasses are not publicly available, it’s a bit of a strange announcement, at least in terms of external updates.

As noted, right now, Snapchat’s AR glasses are only available to approved developers, who have to pay a monthly fee to get access.

Developers and educators can apply to the Spectacles Developer Program, which, if you’re approved to join, will cost you $99 per month to access one pair of Spectacles glasses.

Teachers and students get a discounted rate, but essentially, access to Snap’s first AR-enabled glasses is pretty limited, so it’s hard to get overly excited about this latest update.

It’s also a little hard to see how Snap’s AR glasses are ever going to be a viable product, considering its much bigger competition.

As you can see in the top image above, Snap’s AR glasses are chunky, awkward looking things, that you’re probably not going to be casually wearing around the streets, at least based on its current testing model.

In addition, Snap’s AR glasses are heavier, have a worse battery life, and a more limited field of vision than the current Meta Orion AR glasses, which Meta is still developing. Meta’s focus is on reducing the weight, and reducing the price of the device, ahead of a full retail launch. And with that being the main focus, it’s hard to see how Snapchat’s AR device is ever going to viably compete.

But Snap has long been a leader in the AR development space, and it’s still seemingly hoping that it will be able to deliver a viable, valuable AR wearable device to the general market, maybe ahead of the competition.

Well, I mean, Apple has beaten it to the punch with its VisionPro, but that’s not really designed to be worn externally, and at $3,500, it’s not really a viable option for most people either.

How will Snap get its prices down, while also building a competitive device?

It remains to be seen, but clearly, Snap remains dedicated to its AR glasses project.