AR and VR developers: 8th Wall is introducing new tools and features.

AR and VR of the 8th Wall platform, Niantic is going all-in on the Metaverse with subscription options, monetization tools, and discovery possibilities.

8th Wall was acquired by Niantic in March. The Reality Engine from 8th Wall was released in 2021 and allows web-based augmented reality experiences to function right away on a wide range of iOS and Android smartphones, PCs, tablets, and both AR and VR headsets.

Niantic leveraged the acquisition to expand its Lightship development platform, which allows other developers to work on AR and VR games like Pokemon Go and Ingress. 

Lightship has three primary features: real-time mapping, allowing objects to interact with real-world places, and multiplayer sharing capabilities.

Subscriptions that are simple to grasp

Niantic is now introducing new membership tiers to make 8th Wall’s full suite of capabilities more accessible.

The Starter plan, which costs $9.99 per month, is the first subscription tier. With 8th Wall’s Cloud Editor, developers may construct an endless number of Web AR and Web VR applications. They can then use 8th Wall’s global hosting services to publish their web applications.

The Plus package will set you back $49 per month. It expands on the previous plan’s capabilities and gives developers more control over how they share their web apps. 

Direct project URLs, embeddable AR, and progressive web apps are available to Plus plan members. They can also link custom domains together. Developers who have had success with their AR|VR apps and want to expand their user base should go for the Plus plan.

“Today’s launch is in direct response to increased demand from the developer community to leverage the 8th Wall platform to build engaging Web AR and Web VR content,” Niantic’s Erik Murphy-Chutorian stated. 

“With the 8th Wall platform, developers are well situated to build a profitable business by offering a wider range of subscription price points and providing new methods to distribute and sell their AR and VR web apps.”

It isn’t only subscribers, though.

Along with the subscriptions, 8th Wall Services is also launching. It’s a suite of tools for app developers that want to include secure payment functionality in their apps. 

Developers can quickly add products for payment to their projects by using the Payments Module in the Cloud Editor. The 8th Wall Funds API simplifies payments, allowing developers to reliably collect and receive funds.

At launch, the Payments Module will also be able to add a login pass to projects. It will be able to charge customers for limited-time access to certain AR and VR content. Developers can use the feature to create holographic concerts or art exhibit tickets, for example.

Or something more involved, such as an AR scavenger hunt lasting a week.

It’s not just about payment methods, either.

8th Wall also serves as a search engine for apps that have been published. The site is already the most popular place to look for WebAR content. It also includes 8th.io short links and QR.8 codes. It can also be used to integrate WebAR into existing websites.

On the 8th Wall, developers will now have their own public profile page. For agency partners to pursue, these profiles serve as portfolios. 

It simplifies the process of developers obtaining work from companies all over the world. It isn’t just for experienced developers; students and freelancers will be able to use it as well.

“The Web is undergoing a massive transformation, and augmented reality plays a critical role in its evolution into the Metaverse,” said Tom Emrich of Niantic. 

“Realizing this future will only be made possible by developers, and they will need powerful tools to not only create content but also help them succeed with it.

“The 8th Wall platform provides WebAR and WebVR developers with a comprehensive set of capabilities.”