Pokémon GO Creator Niantic's New 'Peridot' Augmented Reality Pet Game Now Available - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Pokémon GO Creator Niantic's New 'Peridot' Augmented Reality Pet Game Now Available

"Peridot," the latest game from augmented reality company Niantic, is now available for download from the App Store. A Tamagotchi-style game, Peridot allows users to choose a virtual pet to raise.

peridot niantic
As with Niantic's other games, Peridot is an augmented reality title that encourages players to take their pets for walks in the real world. During walks, users can collect items, discover new places, and capture photos.

The game syncs with the Health app to allow players to earn walking distance even when the app is closed, and the augmented reality interface is quick and responsive, letting users tap a spot on the screen to direct their pet.

The Peridot or "Dot" is raised from birth, and players can pet, feed, and play with their Dots to help them grow. In addition to exploring places in the real world and uncovering items, there is a breeding mechanic that can unlock new Peridot archetypes. Raising a Peridot into an adult and leveling up unlocks new character traits that can be used for future pets.

Dots are modeled after existing animals and mythological creatures like cheetahs, dragons, unicorns, and more, with "infinite possibilities of Peridot archetypes" available.

Niantic first announced Peridot in April 2022, so it has been in development for over a year. The official launch date is May 9, but the game is available for download as of today. [Direct Link]

Popular Stories

Apple Event Logo

Apple's Next Era Begins September 1

Thursday May 7, 2026 10:36 am PDT by
Apple recently announced that Tim Cook will be stepping down as CEO later this year, after 15 years of leading the company. Effective September 1, Apple's hardware engineering chief John Ternus will become the company's next CEO, while Cook will become executive chairman of Apple's board of directors. In his new role, Apple said Cook will assist with "certain aspects" of the company,...
Instagram Feature 2

PSA: Instagram Encrypted Messaging Ends on Friday, May 8

Tuesday May 5, 2026 8:24 am PDT by
Instagram will remove end-to-end encryption for direct messages between users from May 8, 2026. When the date comes around, Meta will potentially be able to see the contents of all messages between users on the social media platform. Encrypting messages has been an optional feature in Instagram since 2023, but in March of this year the social media platform quietly updated a help page to say ...
macbook neo launch day

Apple May Drop Base $599 MacBook Neo as Chip, DRAM Costs Climb

Thursday May 7, 2026 4:55 am PDT by
Apple is considering dropping the cheapest MacBook Neo configuration as one possible response to the rising cost of building the popular laptop, according to Taiwan-based tech columnist and former Bloomberg reporter Tim Culpan. The Neo currently starts at $599 for a 256GB model, with a 512GB version at $699. Writing in his latest Culpium newsletter, Culpan says cutting the entry-level...

Top Rated Comments

Spaceboi Scaphandre Avatar
39 months ago
I can already tell this game isn't gonna last long with the absolute PR nightmare going on with Pokemon GO right now with #HearUsNiantic. If they ain't treating Pokemon GO players well, what makes them think people will flock to this?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sirdir Avatar
39 months ago
My last dog just died 2 weeks ago, first time in 22 years without any dog, plus an old ingress player. I might give it a go.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
39 months ago
Aw sweet, MORE data collection!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JGIGS Avatar
39 months ago

I can already tell this game isn't gonna last long with the absolute PR nightmare going on with Pokemon GO right now with #HearUsNiantic. If they ain't treating Pokemon GO players well, what makes them think people will flock to this?
POGO is also a very time consuming game. Most players also don't have the time to take on another Niantic game so they'd really need to attract users outside of POGO.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
39 months ago
Oh no I forgot to feed my tamagotchi!!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
newyorksole Avatar
39 months ago
looked like PERIODT* to me at first lol
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)