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Wield your phone as a lightsaber with Google’s latest Chrome experiment

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As if the hype train wasn’t at its limit, Google is making the lightsaber accessible to those of us who don’t have the good or bad fortune to be a Jedi or a Sith lord.
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In partnership with Disney and Lucasfilm, and Industrial Light & Magic, Google has launched “Lightsaber Escape,” a web game that uses your smartphone as a lightsaber. All you need to do is head on over to g.co/lightsaber on your phone and desktop to check out the latest Chrome Experiment.

When you visit the desktop version, the site will give you a unique URL to visit on your smartphone. You’ll then have to calibrate your device in an upright position, simulating how you would wield a lightsaber, and then the experiment will start by throwing you into a training chamber. Once you’re done being trained, you’ll be practically a Jedi master in a Star Destroyer. Power up the lightsaber by hitting the button on your phone, and may the Force be with you.

Waving your phone around moves the lightsaber around on the desktop. You’ll be facing a copious quantity of First Order storm troopers who, as usual, have terrible aim. Deflect their shots with your lightsaber to defeat them.

There’s a lot more to the experiment, but we won’t spoil it for you. Besides, you’ll have a few days to play it through until Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits theaters worldwide.

The whole setup process is pretty instantaneous and the game looks surprisingly solid. Moving around the phone presented very little latency with the lightsaber on Chrome.

Google says the 3D graphics were built with WebGL and the search giant used WebRTC and WebSockets to provide accurate, real-time communication between smartphones and desktop devices.

The experiment isn’t Google’s first partnership with Lucasfilm or Disney. Recently, Google brought Star Wars themes to all its Google apps, as well as a Google Cardboard VR experience called Jakku Spy.

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Julian Chokkattu
Julian Chokkattu
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Julian is the mobile and wearables editor at Digital Trends, covering smartphones, fitness trackers, smartwatches, and more…
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