Pokémon Go AR+ Mode Coming To Pokémasters With iPhones

Pokémon Go is adding a new AR mode to make catching all those pocket monsters feel even more realistic. Called AR+ (pronounced AR plus), this mode will release for iPhone users sometime soon but no official release has been announced.

The big change with AR+? Pokémon are now fixed in one point when using the AR features already found in Pokémon Go. This means players will be able to walk up to and around different Pokémon they encounter. The Pokémon will also be set to the proper scale, so Pikachu will look like he’s only a foot tall, while monsters like Snorlax or the legendary beasts will be huge.

Players can also try to earn the Expert Handler bonus coming to AR+. Because Pokémon are locked to one point, players will be able to sneak up close to them. If you get close enough, a prompt will appear on the screen alerting players they now have much better chances of making Great or Excellent throws and also earn the Expert Handler XP bonus when catching Pokémon. Expert Handler also pays out with bonus Stardust.

It’s not always as easy as walking up and chucking a Pokéball, however. Pokémon now have an awareness meter, and can run away if you get too close. If a Pokémon does flee the encounter, players will see some tall grass appear nearby. Clicking on the tall grass will give a chance for the Pokémon to reappear, and give players another shot at catching it.

I can already hear the wave of Android users out there asking “But what about us?” The AR+ mode works thanks to Apple’s ARKit framework, which is only found on iPhone 6S and newer models running iOS 11. Android does have a similar ARCore framework, but it is still in development. AR+ will likely come to Android phones in the future, but those phones will need an update with ARCore to release first.

No release time was given for when AR+ mode will release, outside of a vague “soon.”

So what do you think? Are you excited to sneak up on Pokémon in the real world? What other features would you like to see added to Pokémon Go next? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.