Thanks to the grandest of puns, May the 4th is Star Wars Day. And what better way to pay tribute to the space opera than with the augmented reality superpowers of Snapchat.
While Disney has used AR via Snapchat, Facebook, and Google, among other outlets, to promote Star Wars properties, and now Lens Studio for Snapchat has enabled creators to build their own Star Wars AR experiences.
In previous editions of AR Snapshots, we've featured virtual lightsabers, Mandalorian helmets, and dancing Baby Yoda AR Lenses, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Here are more options for creating your own Star Wars AR content.
This Is the Way for the Mandalorian AR Effects
The Disney Plus series The Mandalorian has pumped some newfound excitement into the franchise. In turn, it has served as the muse for multiple Lenses, with some better than others.
The viral star of the show, of course, is Baby Yoda. Thanks to the Baby Yoda Lens, you can become Grogu himself. In addition to placing Baby Yoda's face on yours, the virtual mask reacts to your eyelid and mouth movements.
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
If you'd prefer to wear a Mandalorian helmet, you can also try the Mandalorian or Boba Fett Lens. Each Lens places the respective helmet over your face. But there's more: Tap the screen, and you'll get different background replacements for a more immersive experience.
New Lens Studio Features Result in Full-Body Star Wars AR Costumes
Full-body tracking in Lens Studio 3.4 has expanded virtual masks to virtual costumes.
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Creator Noah Lupowitz has stepped up to create a pair of Star Wars virtual costumes. If you want to be the baddest Sith in the galaxy, there's the Darth Vader Lens. If the burden of leadership isn't your thing, there's also the Stormtrooper Lens.
Transport Yourself into the Starships of Star Wars
Maybe you don't want to be someone else in the Star Wars canon, but you want to make it look like you yourself are in a galaxy far, far away. There are Lenses for that.
The Star Wars Lens places a virtual Rebel pilot helmet on your head, with background segmentation adding the cockpit of a starfighter behind you. Conversely, the Tie Fighter Pilot Lens reimagines you as an Empire combatant, for those who believe that the Empire was right and the Rebels were actually terrorists.
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
There's also the Star Wars Hallway Lens. There's no virtual mask here, just a background of a starship hallway. However, if you use Snap Camera on Zoom or other video calls, it gives you another virtual background option.
Lord Vader...Rise
Another Darth Vader Lens gives us a different take on the Sith lord.
Instead of a full-body costume, you get just Vader's helmet, but with a semi-transparent visor so your eyes (which glow red) show up.
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
In addition, when you raise your hand, the Lens places a lightsaber in your hand. Unfortunately, it doesn't use the improved hand-tracking introduced by Lens Studio 3.4.
Play Lego Star Wars in Your Personal Space
For a more light-hearted take on Star Wars, we have the True Jedi World Lens.
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
This Lens is essentially a re-creation of the Lego Star Wars video games. Taking place via the rear camera, you control a Luke Skywalker mini-figure, trailed by R2D2, with an on-screen touchpad, as he walks around your physical environment picking up Lego bricks.
There's not much else to it, but it does offer a proof of concept on how AR gaming via Snapchat could eventually go mainstream.
Cover photo by Tommy Palladino
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