Smart Wearables and Portable Experiences are Officially in Decentraland
By Decentraland, , in Announcements
Decentraland’s Year of the Creator has seen some major releases designed to boost the work of our amazing creative community.
Features like Saved Outfits, Handwear, and the official launch of SDK 7 are just some of the initiatives being used to enhance the virtual world every day. Decentraland also hosted an epic three-week Game Jam, powered by Polygon, which produced incredible immersive experiences on the theme of ‘Lucid Dreams’.
And while the year is already well into its second half (time flies when you’re building the future) there are still many more tools and features to come. Two of the big ones being brought out are Smart Wearables and Portable Experiences.
Smart Wearables
If digital wearables are the ‘future of fashion’ as they are so frequently described by many in the industry, then Smart Wearables are the next major leap forward.
There have been some early iterations of smart wearables at events like Metaverse Fashion Week, but with the tech refined and tested, it’s time for an official launch.
So what exactly are Smart Wearables and why are they so important?
Put simply, Smart Wearables are clothing and accessories worn by your avatar that ‘turn on’ an experience or ability specific to that wearable. For example, a pair of glasses that triggers an exclusive event map, a jetpack that gives you the power of flight, or perhaps a pair of MANA token earrings that add a new layer of content to the world, allowing the wearer to randomly place and collect coins.
These items open up an entirely new set of creative possibilities.
They allow designers of digital fashion to add utility to outfits and accessories and provide a deeper experience for the wearer. Exclusivity, beyond the level of rarity, is another advantage. Consider a collaboration with a brand, where ownership of a wearable enables access to a VIP room or select catalogue of products.
For gamemakers and players, Smart Wearables have the potential to seriously level up the fun. Not only can an item unlock a game that’s playable across the world, but players can compete for outfits and accessories that give them new weapons, super powers or scoring opportunities. But before you cry “unfair advantage”, it’s worth noting that the owner of a scene can restrict the use of Smart Wearables on their land, ensuring that all players have the same gameplay abilities.
Krampus Jetpack Smart Wearable. For scene builders, Smart Wearables effectively add a whole new layer of content to your creations. Structures and environments reveal hidden layers, functionality and decoration. Even beyond specific scenes, Smart Wearables can allow visitors to view and interact with Decentraland in a whole new way. Smart Wearables appear in the Decentraland Marketplace with a lightning icon in the thumbnail of the asset, along with a description, so buyers know what they’re getting.
Portable Experiences
Portable Experiences are similar to Smart Wearables, in that they reveal another layer of the world—kind of like augmented reality in the virtual world. What this means is that with a Portable Experience enabled you are able to, let’s say, see floating gems all around you and when you collect one your avatar performs a custom dance, specific to the Portable Experience. While those who haven’t activated the Portable Experience won’t be able to see the gems, they will be able to see you bust a move.
The main difference between Smart Wearables and Portable Experiences is that where Smart Wearables need to be purchased to use, Portable Experiences are free to turn on in a particular scene. Even if you haven’t got a wallet connected, if you jump into a location you can activate them. This makes Portable Experiences ideal for events and social gatherings—a special extra that all attendees can enjoy.
Portable experience from Last Slice Collective. Another example: during the recent Metaverse Fashion Week, players interacted with a Portable Experience that was activated by default. It showcased a new UI button, offering enhanced event information, and even provided teleportation to places of interest.
The MVFW portal experience—event UI layer. Just some of the things you can create with Portable Experiences include guides for players participating in quests, pets that follow players around the world, or, as in the MVFW example, provide contextual information through a UI layer.
Bringing Smart Wearables and Portable Experiences to life
If you’re an experienced creator or designer and know your way around the Decentraland SDK and Editor then graduating to Smart Wearables and Portable Experiences is a relatively straightforward process. The Foundation team is also working to continually refine the experience.
For Smart Wearables, this documentation takes you through the process, from using the CLI to publishing your creation, as well as tips and limitations worth considering.
Info for bringing Portable Experiences to life can be found here. It’s worth noting that, like Smart Wearables, Portable Experiences can only be created using the new SDK 7. Similarly, only scenes built with SDK 7 are capable of loading a Portable Experience. You’ll also need a Decentraland Name to publish a Portable Experience.
And if you’re thinking of diving into the world of Portable Experiences, it’s worth checking out this UX and UI guide for creators as a primer for creating the kind of event feature showcased at MVFW.
The official launch of Smart Wearables and Portable Experiences heralds a brand new era of creativity and innovation—not just in this Year of the Creator, but for the future of Decentraland. Seize your opportunity to be a pioneer in the space and get started!
If you’ve seen or used any Smart Wearables or Portable Experiences you’ve loved, don’t hesitate to share them with the community on Twitter, using the hashtag #DCLSmartWearables.