Smart wearables & portable experiences step into Decentraland

Decentraland, a virtual world boosting elements and features in 3D, has announced the integration with Smart Wearable and portable experiences. Meaning both are now a part of Decentraland, allowing users to explore them instantly. Both come with a set of different features; however, the goal is mutually to enhance the gameplay experience in Decentraland.

Smart wearables have appeared a couple of times, but the integration with Decentraland is a pretty major milestone for the community and the segment. Smart wearables are basically accessories and clothing that exist in the virtual world. They are worn by the digital avatar of a player, sporting different utilities like exclusive access or special powers.

For instance, a pair of glasses bought by players for their avatar can give them the power to review the event map, while those without such glasses will have no access to the map. Similarly, an avatar with a jetpack can fly their way across the venue.

It is crucial to have smart wearables as they enhance the gameplay and add an entertainment factor for players. A slight disadvantage can come when they have to buy digital clothing or accessories. Also, an owner of a scene can restrict the usage of smart wearables with the goal of making the game fair play. Players are tasked with purchasing smart wearables at their own expense. Alternatively, they can choose to fight another player to obtain a piece of an accessory.

There are plans in the pipeline to launch a portable music player in the weeks to come. This will be done in collaboration with Audius, making it the first time a portable music player has made an appearance in the virtual world. Once available, avatars will be required to wear Audius smart wearable headphones to gain access to a piece of music through Akira the Don and Spottie WiFi.

The music will play throughout their journey across Decentraland. Portable experiences are next in line to become a part of Decentraland. They are similar to smart wearables except for the fact that players are not required to buy them. Their function resembles AR technology which is Augmented Reality. The impact that the introduction of portable experiences will have on players can be explained with a simple example.

Players will see a couple of gems lying around them. Their avatar will have to collect them to attain a specific experience. Avatars will then demonstrate success with a dance.

Portable experiences can be turned on in any particular scene even if the wallet has not been connected. Portable experiences are being pitched ideally for special events like a social gathering.

Experienced players who know their way around Editor and Decentraland SDK can instantly activate smart wearables and portable experiences. Others have the option to go through the guides or documentation published by Decentraland. The integration of smart wearables and portable experiences has been hailed as a new era of innovation and creativity by Decentraland.