The Mandalorian in AR: Google's New App Experience

Google, in collaboration with Disney and Lucasfilm, is introducing an augmented reality experience centered around the popular Star Wars streaming series, “The Mandalorian.” The company announced this morning the availability of a new Android application, titled “The Mandalorian” AR Experience. This app will recreate memorable scenes from the show’s initial season in AR, enabling enthusiasts to follow the journey of the Mandalorian, locate the Child, utilize the Force, and much more, as detailed in the app’s Play Store description.

Within the application, users can trace the path of Mando, Din Djarin, and the Child, engage with the characters, and construct shareable scenes with friends.

Fresh AR content will be added to the app each Monday, beginning today, November 23, and continuing until October 31, 2021. [Update: Following initial reporting, Google clarified that the Play Store description contained an inaccuracy and is being updated. There will be a total of 5 content releases during this period. The original announcement indicated weekly releases.]

The app utilizes Google’s ARCore, a developer platform designed for creating augmented reality experiences, to generate scenes that dynamically interact with the user’s physical environment. This enhanced level of immersion allows fans to unlock additional visual effects based on their interactions. Furthermore, the app incorporates Google’s new ARCore Depth API, enabling occlusion, which seamlessly integrates the AR scenes with the real-world view captured by the smartphone’s camera.

However, as this application serves as a demonstration of Google’s latest AR capabilities, compatibility is limited to certain Android devices.

Google specifies that the app will only function on “compatible 5G Android devices,” including Google’s 5G Pixel smartphones and a selection of other 5G Android phones with the latest Google Play Services for AR. A list of supported Android devices can be found on the Google Developers website. The company also notes that additional phones may gain support in the future.

Although the experience requires a 5G-capable Android device, Google states that an active 5G connection is not necessary for operation. The requirement pertains to the technologies included within these devices, rather than the network signal itself.

Google and Lucasfilm have collaborated on numerous promotional marketing initiatives over the years. These efforts are generally not considered traditional advertising, as they provide both companies with a platform to showcase their respective services and technologies. For instance, Google previously allowed users to apply a Star Wars theme to its applications in 2015, enhancing services like Gmail, Maps, YouTube, and Chrome. The companies have also launched both AR and VR experiences featuring Star Wars content in recent years.

The Mandalorian AR Experience is available for free download on the Play Store.