Virtual and augmented reality are major buzzwords these days in both tech and gaming, so it was only a matter of time until toys started getting the high-tech treatment. Air Hogs takes the popularity of quadcopter drones and pairs it with a mobile device to allow for creative augmented reality play, but the product can’t quite seem to keep up with the ambitious ideas behind it.
The Air Hogs Connect Augmented Reality Mission Drone comes in a fancy black plastic briefcase, giving the toy a nice feel in the hands. Inside is the quadcopter drone, along with an AR playmat and a charger. You’ll need to charge the drone before playing to make sure it runs properly.
Using a compatible iOS or Android device (a tablet is best, given the larger screen), players use the free Air Hogs Connect app to sync up with a small drone. After a quick and easy pairing process, you can start training for the included missions, or simply fly the drone around using the on-screen controller.
The missions feature players flying the drone through an AR city displayed on the mobile device. The city literally grows out of the floor, which is pretty awesome to see every time it happens. Players fly the drone through the city completing tasks to finish missions and unlock virtual upgrades for the drone. Because the drone is made with the same augmented reality pattern as the playmat, different “parts” of the drone can be swapped on and off through the app.
The problem comes with actually flying the drone. While the device is sometimes responsive and easy to maneuver, it can also behave erratically and disregard any input you are giving it. Simply going through the training for the missions became a massive chore given how poorly the drone performed.
Not only did the drone not do what it was told, it also acted up when it shouldn’t have. Placing the drone back in the center of the playmat allows you to basically start over, so grabbing the drone and putting it back in its spot became a common occurrence. On more than one occasion, the drone would immediately act up by itself when put back down after an error, or even start trying to fly away while still in my hand.
Couple these complaints in with a $150 price tag, and the Air Hogs Connect drone just is not worth it. It could be worth a second look if the drones can be made to perform as anticipated, but right now they act too erratically to fly for any period of time, let alone perform the tasks in the in-app missions.
It’s a real shame, too. The app is a pretty interesting experience, and it is genuinely fun when things are working. It’s unfortunate that things seem to not work more often than not.
So what do you think? Are you still interested in the Air Hogs Connect drone? What else are you looking forward to this Holiday season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
