Reality blending and PokéStop scanning is about to make the world's most popular AR game even more immersive.

2016 might have been the summer where it felt as if everyone on the planet was playing Pokémon GO, but it feels as if 2019 was the game's biggest year to date. Niantic has done a terrific job of rolling out new features at a gradual pace, keeping players interested while not giving them so much that it runs out of ways to continue building on the game.

Even though the last two months have been gripped by a global pandemic, Niantic is deadset on making 2020 an even bigger year for Pokémon GO than 2019. It may have had to change its plans a fair bit, but if anything, that has only helped the game's cause. We would hazard to guess more people are playing now than ever before since many of its features can now be used at home.

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Niantic's next steps involve making Pokémon's most realistic game to date even more realistic. One way in which it will do that is via a technique called reality blending. The technique will allow the augmented Pokémon we're all out there trying to catch to hide behind real-world objects. Bulbasaur could hide behind a tree as is demonstrated in the GIF below. Or perhaps appear from behind a couch considering the circumstances at present.

Not all phones will have the capability to activate reality blending in Pokémon GO. Just the Samsung Galaxy S9, Samsung Galaxy S10, Google Pixel 3, and Google Pixel 4 to start with, although Niantic promises the feature will be coming to more models. Certain trainers will be selected at random to trial the feature, so if you have one of the phones listed above, keep an eye out for it.

As well as reality blending, Niantic has revealed it will be adding a feature called PokéStop scanning. Trainers will be asked to record footage of areas where PokéStops and gyms can be found, allowing Niantic to map out the areas in 3D AR. It will be a feature trainers have to opt-in for, and will be available to those at Level 40 from early June.

Source: Pokémon GO

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