Rovio Announces 'Angry Birds FPS' For Magic Leap One Mixed Reality Headset

The pricey Magic Leap One mixed reality headset launched last month for $2,295. Now the headset will get its very first AR game from Rovio and it is called “Angry Birds FPS: First Person Slingshot.”

The augmented reality version of the “Angry Birds” was developed and design by Rovio and Resolution Games. The upcoming AR game will be available sometime later this fall and will exclusively be available for the Magic Leap One headset. Instead of using touchscreen controls on a smartphone or a tablet, “Angry Birds FPS” lets players slingshot birds in first-person perspective in a 3D environment using the Magic Leap One headset and the wand controller.

“We’re excited to expand the Angry Birds brand and universe to new and emerging platforms like Magic Leap, delivering fans a unique way to engage with their favorite characters,” Rovio Entertainment CEO Kati Levoranta said. “Resolution Games has done an incredible job bringing Angry Birds to life in a new experience that will let players see and feel what it’s like to battle the pigs like never before.”

Engadget was able to demo “Angry Birds FPS: First Person Slingshot” on the Magic Leap One and commented that the graphics were “consistently colorful and crisp,” and that it doesn’t get blurry or pixelated when they try to move closer to the augmented reality elements. One distinct advantage of playing “Angry Birds” in augmented reality is that players are also able to move around to get a better shot.

TechCrunch was also able to try out the game and commented that “it’s actually pretty refreshing and fun making the futuristic hardware feel less alien.” However, the publication also said that the game “isn’t ground-breaking by any means” but said that “what felt most unique was how familiar it felt.”

Resolution Games, which began developing the game with Rovio in January, also revealed that they experimented with Microsoft’s HoloLens. However, Magic Leap’s technology, particularly the trackable controller, made it possible to deliver a full-fledged game.

CNET also demoed “Angry Birds FPS” as well and praised the game for letting players walk around the room to get better shots. However, the site pointed out that playing the game is a little awkward because other people in the room weren’t able to see the augmented reality elements. Resolution Games said that the final version of the game might include a feature that would allow players to stream a video feed to a nearby TV.

So far, it sounds like “Angry Birds FPS: First Person Slingshot” is a fun augmented reality game that could encourage other developers to start making games for the Magic Leap One. The only problem right now is the incredibly expensive price tag of the headset itself. No exact release date was given, but "Angry Birds FPS" should be available this fall to owners of the Magic Leap One Creator Edition.