The Impact of Horizon Zero Dawn, Part 2

Augmented Reality and the User Interface of the Future

Aloy uses the Focus to scan her surroundings. (In-game screenshot taken by author)

This is the second in a series of articles I am using to explore how the story and lore of the video game Horizon Zero Dawn is shaping futurism.

In the game world of Horizon, the protagonist Aloy is equipped with a small device she wears on her temple called a Focus. The Focus is capable of projecting an augmented reality (AR) interface around her that pulls in information from the surrounding area, allows her to interact with a variety of devices and shows information on a heads-up display.

From a gameplay point of view the Focus is designed to allow the player to summon the user-interface within the game at will. The Focus will show them nearby objects that can be looted, highlight robotic and biological enemies and can scan items for information. This is, if you have played the respective titles a clever amalgamation of the Scan Visor from Metroid Prime and the Eagle Vision from Assassin’s Creed. It is very clever UX and ensures the game interface does not permanently crowd the vision of the player.

In the lore of the game the Focus device was created by Faro Automated Solutions as a personal AR device. (Not to be confused with the real life Faro Focus) By 2066 the Focus had come to replace the smart devices…