A new adventure set in the Blade Runner universe from developer Seismic Games is coming soon to the Daydream mobile VR platform. The game is optimised for WorldSense, a new six degrees of freedom (6DoF) positional tracking system developed by Google, found in upcoming mobile devices such as the standalone Lenovo Mirage Solo.

Announced at Google I/O last year, the Mirage Solo is the first standalone mobile VR headset using the Daydream VR platform. Google recently revealed that it is also the first device to feature WorldSense, their new self-contained tracking system based on “years of investment in simultaneous localization and mapping,” that claims to deliver “PC-quality positional tracking.”

Alcon Media Group has partnered with Google and Lenovo to bring Blade Runner: Revelations to Daydream. Seismic Games, who acquired mixed reality specialists Grue Games in late 2016, have a history with major IP such as Skylanders and Call of Duty. The studio teased a potential Blade Runner connection in September.

image courtesy Lenovo

In this new narrative adventure, players assume the role of Harper, a seasoned Blade Runner who “unravels a twisted replicant plot that threatens the delicate balance of Los Angeles in 2023.” According to the press release, players will “search for evidence with the help of their flying spinner, deadly blaster, and esper image reconstruction to try to solve the mystery in an immersive VR environment.”

While the game will work on all Daydream devices, it is said to be “best experienced” on the Mirage Solo. WorldSense support means that players can “duck, dodge and lean,” as well as stepping “backwards, forwards, and side to side, unlocking new gameplay elements that bring the world of Blade Runner to life.”

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“We’re working closely with developers to bring new experiences to the platform that take advantage of all these new technologies,” writes Clay Bavor, Google’s Vice President of Virtual and Augmented Reality. Blade Runner: Revelations is the first example of Google’s partnerships with developers to bring 6DoF-optimised games to mobile VR.

“It’s the most immersive way to access Daydream,” he says, noting the headset’s wide field of view (110°) and “advanced blur-free display”. The Lenovo Mirage Solo is due to launch in Q2 2018.

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Dominic Brennan
The trial version of Microsoft’s Monster Truck Madness probably had something to do with it. And certainly the original Super Mario Kart and Gran Turismo. A car nut from an early age, Dominic was always drawn to racing games above all other genres. Now a seasoned driving simulation enthusiast, and former editor of Sim Racer magazine, Dominic has followed virtual reality developments with keen interest, as cockpit-based simulation is a perfect match for the technology. Conditions could hardly be more ideal, a scientist once said. Writing about simulators lead him to Road to VR, whose broad coverage of the industry revealed the bigger picture and limitless potential of the medium. Passionate about technology and a lifelong PC gamer, Dominic suffers from the ‘tweak for days’ PC gaming condition, where he plays the same section over and over at every possible combination of visual settings to find the right balance between fidelity and performance. Based within The Fens of Lincolnshire (it’s very flat), Dominic can sometimes be found marvelling at the real world’s ‘draw distance’, wishing virtual technologies would catch up.