The company also provided a look into what it's been working on and how the platform is improving. "One of the key limitations of AR currently is that AR objects cannot interact meaningfully in a 3D space," wrote Hanke. "Ideally, AR objects should be able to blend into our reality, seamlessly moving behind and around real world objects." And to that effect, Niantic released a video (below) showing how it has improved its AR capabilities -- whereas before an AR Pikachu could only run in front of other objects, now it can run behind and weave through different real world objects.

Additionally, Niantic has developed a low-latency AR networking technique that lets users share an AR experience regardless of what devices they're using. And recent acquisitions of AR and machine learning firms Escher Reality and Matrix Mill will help Niantic continue to push its technology forward. "The Matrix Mill team has come up with novel ideas that push the boundaries of what machines can process, thinking around occlusions and seeing the world closer to the way human eyes can," said Hanke. "As a result of this hard work, AR experiences can feel more natural to the eye, which is a goal we have squarely in our sights."