"Lasertag" anywhere and anytime: mixed reality opens up new possibilities
MR goggles make spontaneous laser tag action possible indoors and sometimes even outdoors. An innovative game shows how easy it can be.
An outdoor laser gun battle.
(Image: Anaglyph)
Whether laser tag or paintball, MR headsets could become a simple, inexpensive, and private alternative to location-based leisure activities of this kind in the coming years. As mixed reality arenas are purely digital, they can be easily set up anywhere where there is enough space. They require no maintenance and no special equipment besides MR glasses.
By merging physical reality and digital play, arenas and game mechanics can be designed more freely in principle. Integrated editors also make it possible to design new arenas or modify existing ones in no time at all.
There are already several multiplayer games of this type for Meta Quest. A more recent example called “Lasertag” stands out due to a technical innovation that makes it particularly accessible. We tried out “Lasertag” with Meta Quest 3 and present two alternatives.
How mixed reality works on Quest 3
Most Quest games require a 3D scan of the game room for mixed reality. Users have to create this in advance by moving through their own living room. The headset creates a 3D model of the room.
With the help of this model and AI-supported object recognition, the headset knows where walls, windows, doors, and furniture are located and can seamlessly connect reality and the game on this basis. In mixed reality shooters, for example, projectiles bounce off walls realistically, and players can take cover behind furniture.
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Meta's approach has two major disadvantages. Firstly, the scanning process can take several minutes, depending on the size and complexity of the room. Secondly, the 3D scan is only a snapshot: if you move pieces of furniture, you have to adjust it later by hand or recreate it from scratch.
The central innovation of “Lasertag” is a proprietary solution that continuously scans the room while you play. This makes the game both more accessible and more immersive than previous MR games.
Lasertag in practice: Action without waiting
In our test, this worked surprisingly well: we played in pairs across several interconnected rooms without the game getting out of sync and without a 3D scan. Even chairs could be used as moving cover, or doors could be closed to avoid enemy projectiles. The system adapts to the new conditions in a matter of moments.
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The headsets are calibrated automatically without entering room codes, so you can get started right away. There is no player limit: you can play with as many people as your WLAN and headset allow in terms of performance. The developers have tested the game with up to ten players. The following video shows what laser tag looks like as a group experience.
We also tried out “Lasertag” in an underground car park. It made a solid impression there. In confined spaces, however, the battles seem more real, as the laser projectiles fill the room, illuminate the surroundings, and bounce off nearby walls and objects.
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The continuous 3D scanning has one disadvantage: it is more computationally intensive than Meta's standard method and drains the Meta Quest's already low battery even faster. It is also only supported by Quest 3 and 3S. The technology was developed by laser tag programmer Julian Triveri, who makes it available to other Quest developers on Github.
Mature alternatives: Spatial Ops and Laser Limbo
In terms of content, “Lasertag” is still somewhat thin on the ground, as the game is in an early development phase in which the team is primarily focusing on the technical aspects. More elaborate game modes and a larger selection of weapons are to follow later.
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The MR title “Spatial Ops,” which offers four game modes, support for up to eight players, different weapons, and a sophisticated editor for creating your own arenas, is much further along in this respect. “Spatial Ops” uses Meta's scanning method and does not scan the room continuously.
The same applies to the German MR game “Laser Limbo,” another mature alternative to “Lasertag,” which scores with numerous game modes, pixel art aesthetics, and additional mechanics such as movable laser barriers. It supports up to eight players (Enterprise version). One disadvantage here is that more manual adjustments are currently required for setup.
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All three titles can also be played outdoors, but there are a few things to bear in mind when using MR headsets outdoors: You should stay in a safe environment and not play under the blazing sun. Bright light can affect the tracking system and even damage the displays if the sun shines directly on the lenses. It is therefore best to play on overcast days or in shady outdoor areas.
(olb)
