Pokemon in ‘Pokemon Go’ now appear life-size on Android too

MANILA, Philippines – Android Pokemon Go players can now enjoy an upgraded monster catching experience as developer Niantic has released AR+ mode for the game.

What does it do? It makes in-game Pokemon appear like their supposed real size. This means that a Pikachu will actually look like it’s 1-foot-and-4-inches while a Gyarados will look more like its listed length of 21-feet-and-4 inches. The Pokemon also scale according to a player’s distance to it. The closer a player gets, the bigger it gets, and the farther you are, the smaller it is. Pokemon now also react to player movement, which may factor in when a player is trying to catch it. 

The update does not support all Android devices as the feature requires players to download Google’s augmented reality software kit, ARCore, from the Google Play Store. Not every phone works with ARCore. 

The mode was introduced to iOS devices in December 2017.

The augmented reality game, launched in July 2016, last month passed the $2 billion mark in revenue, according to CNET. Despite losing some steam months after launch, the steady stream of updates appears to keep dedicated Pokemon trainers coming back. – Rappler.com