Niantic Spatial’s Charming Pet Sim ‘Hello, Dot’ Exits Early Access on Quest 3

Okay, so imagine this. Niantic Spatial jumps out with this quirky, slightly mind-bending game called Hello, Dot, and now this thing is on Quest 3. It’s mixed reality, which, if you’re anything like me, might just make your brain do a little loop-de-loop trying to picture it. And they’re out of early access now. Boom, major upgrades incoming.

I mean, Hello, Dot’s like their signature “mixed reality showcase,” or whatever they wanna call it. This thing started on mobile with Peridot last year. 2023. Seems like just yesterday, doesn’t it? Or is it just me? Anyway, so alongside this Quest 3 debut, they’ve got a bunch of other hijinks in the XR world — like Peridot Beyond for Snap Spectacles (no clue if I’m cool enough to wear those) or Pause with Peridot. Also, that SunnyTune thing for Apple Vision Pro. Quite the lineup, if you ask me. Or maybe it’s just a mishmash of techie words. Who knows.

So, what’s new? Loads. The Dots now have personalities—like, more personality than your average goldfish—and guess what? There’s an arcade machine involved. Tiny play dates, Gen AI tweaks via your voice (talk to them like they’re real, go ahead), mini-games like Dotball (which, let’s be real, sounds suspiciously like dodgeball but with Dots), and Eating Contests. I wonder if Dots burp… oh well, I digress.

There’s this arcade setup where you can win currency—probably fake—not that money’s ever real when you’re having fun. Then you swap that for Dot bling at the shop. Dress your Dot up, make it fancy. Or silly. Whatever floats your Dot.

Asim Ahmed, some big shot Global Product Marketing Lead, chips in with some deep-sounding blurb about magic and mixed reality. Something about digital life jazzing up our space and weaving wonder. Honestly, sounds a bit like he’s pitching a superhero flick. But hey, it’s marketing. They get to have all the fun with words, right?

Oh, and there’s a Gen AI-powered customizer. You grab a virtual mic and spill your coffee-fueled imagination about your Dot’s new look, and boom—into the magical paint bucket. Fancy.

If you’ve got Quest 3 or 3S, you can find this digital wonderland on the Horizon Store, and you don’t even have to shell out a cent. Download away, my friends.