The ambitious social metaverse and Web3 startup Peer has hit a major milestone with the launch of its next-generation social app, available to download on iOS devices from today. The Peer app is a novel social experience created using augmented reality technology and a proprietary ecosystem that enables people to explore and interact with the world around them in new ways, the startup explains. “All the world’s a game and Peer makes everyone a player,” said Peer founder and Chief Executive Tony Tran. “Get ready for a new kind of social network that’s all about fun, joy and gamification at its core.” According to Peer, the app combines geo-location technology with adaptive 3D maps to create a “game-like experience” of the physical world. With Peer, users will be able to customize and share maps of their own, unique social world, pinning their stories, memories and moments to real-world locations for others to find. To understand what Peer is really about, try to think of it as a social network experienced in AR graphics overlaid across the real world. With it, users will be able to explore their physical location and locate digital objects and information that’s posted within their surroundings. Peer will make it possible to overlay 3D graphics on top of the real world, integrating new experiences into our everyday lives. Unlike other social networks which simply focus on getting people to scroll through a newsfeed with their eyes glued to their device, Peer genuinely wants to get people out and about, interacting with real people and locations in the physical world. As part of this approach, users will be incentivized to post and explore digital content that’s tied to specific geographic locations. Someone who’s feeling hungry will be able to use Peer to facilitate their search for a bite to eat. Simply open up the Peer map and look for nearby restaurants, and you’ll find directions overlaid onto the real world to make it easier to find them. As that person arrives at their chosen eatery, they may be able to pick up a digital coupon posted outside by the owner of the business, giving them a 10% discount on their meal. At the same time, the user will be able to check reviews from previous customers, helping them to decide if they want to give the menu a try. Businesses will be able to use Peer to enhance their marketing efforts in creative ways. As an example, Peer created a video showing how an aquarium or dinosaur museum might get the attention of visitors by creating marine animals that swim across the skies, or virtual dinosaurs that roam around outside, enticing people to come and take a closer look. As Peer explains, the Peer app is designed to enable discovery, community-building and other kinds of real-life activities. It will act as a creative canvas anyone can use to design and develop digital experiences that enhance our lives in the real world. It’s an ambitious idea that has the potential to achieve one of the major promises of the metaverse, morphing digital elements into physical reality. Peer said the Peer app is available to download on iOS devices now from the Apple App Store, and will be joined by an Android version that’s due to launch later this year. The company is also reported to be working on an AR headset that will make it possible to experience Peer in the most immersive way. In the meantime, iOS users can expect to see additional features arrive in Peer soon. “In the coming months, we will deepen AI integration and deploy features that are sure to spark a new era of global interconnectedness,” Tran promised. “No social network puts the world in your hands like Peer.” Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.
