The biggest bummer of the Star Wars franchise is that there’s no current way to produce lightsabers exactly as they are depicted in the movies. (Though, that’s probably for the best since someone loses an arm in almost every Star Wars movie.) Augmented Reality (AR) lightsabers are the next best thing to corporeal laser beams and now, you can have a realistic lightsaber battle with your friends (or enemies,) to kick off Star Wars day.
Star Wars: Jedi Challenges, an AR app by Lenova, is getting tech updates so juicy, even Vader would be jealous. Previously a single-player game, the update will now allow players who each have a Lenovo Mirage AR system, a lightsaber controller, a light-up tracking beacon, and a phone-powered Mirage headset to have their own epic battles—with each other. Step aside Vader and Obi-Wan, time for some new blood. Players just have to choose different lightsaber colors and then all bets are off. (Or on, if you ask Han Solo.) The best part? The update is completely free for anyone who already has the tech.
The battles commence in much the same way that they do in single player mode: Players stand a couple of feet apart, the lightsaber beam is projected over the controllers, and the battle begins with choreographed moves similar to those in single-player mode. If you want to use the AR kit to get out some major pent up aggression, it’s probably not going to work out very well because the system is set up for strategic battles instead of wild slashing and maiming. This allows people to learn skills on par with fencing while protecting the equipment from getting destroyed. If you don’t already have the tech, the kit runs for about 200 dollars, but it’s well-worth it to act out your greatest lightsaber battle fantasies.
