Google brings the fight to Apple, releases host of new apps and games for ARCore

Your move, Tim Cook
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With the race to augmented reality supremacy hotting up, Google has further bolstered its selection of apps and games for its ARCore platform.

Announced at GDC 2018, the company revealed that over 60 apps are new to the Google Play Store, adding to the options already at the disposal of Android smartphone users.

Read this: What you need to know about Google's ARCore

For those who need to get up to speed — ARCore is essentially Google's answer to Apple ARKit, providing a platform for developers to build AR experiences. The current technology utilises a smartphone's camera while overlaying virtual objects into the real world, though this, naturally, is quickly expanding to the likes of AR smartglasses.

The most recent development in the story also came just a few weeks ago, when Google launched the ARCore 1.0 SDK to developers, and, in turn, brought the platform to roughly 100 million devices.

So, which new apps can people now get involved with? Well, announced were AR experiences from the likes of eBay, Tamagotchi, The Walking Dead and Pottery Barn, showing the broad scope for the kind of games and apps we can expect to see hit the platform.

And, more generally, this is a move that pushes Google ahead of Apple, since ARKit has yet to see the same influx of apps hit the platform — only 20 are currently available on this iTunes page.

Expect to hear more when Google I/O kicks off in early May, and also expect Apple to once again emphasise AR and bridge the gap at WWDC 2018 in June.

Google brings the fight to Apple, releases host of new apps and games for ARCore



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Conor Allison

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Conor moved to Wareable Media Group in 2017, initially covering all the latest developments in smartwatches, fitness trackers, and VR. He made a name for himself writing about trying out translation earbuds on a first date and cycling with a wearable airbag, as well as covering the industry’s latest releases.

Following a stint as Reviews Editor at Pocket-lint, Conor returned to Wareable Media Group in 2022 as Editor-at-Large. Conor has become a wearables expert, and helps people get more from their wearable tech, via Wareable's considerable how-to-based guides. 

He has also contributed to British GQ, Wired, Metro, The Independent, and The Mirror. 


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