Just in time for the start of the regular season, the NBA became the first U.S. sports league to launch an augmented reality game on Monday with an app that enables fans to play virtual pop-a-shot.
NBA AR, which is available for free in the App Store, will have fans flicking their iPhones in order to score baskets. The app uses ARKit technology on iOS 11 to create the augmented reality experience. Finding a well-lit outdoor flat surface to set up works best, but fans can get buckets nearly anywhere in the world at anytime.
The app captures a player’s surroundings, places an authentic NBA backboard and court into the real-world environment, and uses the accelerometer in the iPhone (6s and later) to flick shots at the hoop before the 30-second shot clock expires. Players can record and share their shooting sessions or see how they stack up globally on the overall leaderboard. Fans have the option of selecting their favorite NBA team to brand their environment and receive updates on the team’s upcoming games.
Augmented reality experiences with ARKit have allowed sports organizations to reimagine ways to engage fans. Major League Baseball recently announced that starting next season, it would enable fans to point their Apple devices at live games to receive Statcast data in AR.
Apps for virtual pop-a-shot aren’t a new concept. A Belgian game development company launched one earlier this month that’s powered by ARKit. The Cleveland Cavaliers launched an augmented reality virtual pop-a-shot mobile app game for the start of the playoffs last season. But the NBA working with ARKit presents new possibilities for augmented reality in sports, as later this season, the NBA plans to introduce additional AR experiences through its app.
“We’ve always said that basketball can be played virtually anywhere – and today that takes on an expanded meaning,” Melissa Rosenthal Brenner, NBA Senior Vice President, Digital Media, said in a statement. “Augmented reality presents a variety of fascinating engagement opportunities, so we hope our fans download the app and try out their skills wherever they might be.”