41 years after star wars premiered, lightsaber battles exist in AR

for one year, star wars: jedi challenges has trained pupils in the way of the force with a smartphone-powered augmented reality (AR) system. today, may 4, 2018 (star wars day), lenovo and disney announced that their star wars AR game will now feature local multiplayer.

previously, star wars: jedi challenges put users up against the virtual likes of kylo ren and darth vader. in a strategic game of focus, users are prompted to respond to visual foresights. arrows and lines tell you to dodge vader’s saber-swipes and deflect kylo ren’s angsty jabs. these foresights are your jedi intuitions — and they’re just as important in multiplayer.

all images courtesy of lenovo

in multiplayer mode, two competitors don lenovo mirage AR headsets. in a room, hopefully an open one, the competitors inch backward, until they are a few feet apart. they hold their hands around their lightsaber controllers in their own unique way. one may choose to squeeze their sword like an aggressive anakin. the other competitor — who may be trying the game because their friend begged them — may hold their saber more like a jar jar. regardless, two round tracking beams will glow on the floor in front of them. and through their AR helmets, they will see each other’s blade of light.

the system tells each player where to strike and where to defend. whoever is most-one with the force (the fastest and most focused) will defeat the other. in this way, the star wars AR game feels more like guitar hero with lightsabers than an ‘open-world’ freestyle battle, so to speak.