These AR Contact Lenses Could Change Gaming

Imagine how fun Pokemon Go would be if you didn't have that pesky phone distracting you. What if you could play with some type of augmented reality headset — that way you could concentrate fully on your monster collecting? Or, better yet: what if the AR headset got replaced by the contact lenses you might be wearing right now?

For a company called Mojo Vision, that is the dream.

Mojo Vision has developed what it says is the "world's first true smart contact lens." It sounds a whole like Google Glass, but without the obvious embarrassment that came with wearing Google's failed accessory. The lenses aim to be the catalyst for what Mojo calls "Invisible Computing" — the kind that presents information when it's needed and gets out of your way when it's not.

Being gamers, though, we can't help but imagine what this could do for our favorite hobby.

Pokemon Go isn't the only augmented reality game that could benefit from such technology. What if you could play Minecraft Earth without having to tote your smartphone around? You'd be able to completely immerse yourself in the building experience with your hands free. What if Harry Potter: Wizards Unite ditched the phone app and went straight for your eyeballs? You could feel more like a magical being and less like a wizard who has to look through a very tiny window.

The technology is exciting. It would likely be absurdly expensive right now, too. You know that iPhone 11 Pro Max you're carrying around? That comes with a pixel density of around 455 ppi (pixels per inch). Mojo Vision's contacts boast a ppi count of 2 million. That ain't cheap.

Regardless, Mojo's lenses are a fun peek at where the future might be headed. It'll probably be a while before something like this ever becomes mainstream. Then again, we said the same thing about virtual reality many years ago, and now it's bringing us a new Half-Life game. Maybe we'll just have to wait and see.