Toys ‘R’ Us testing AR to make stores digital playgrounds

Toys "R" Us is doubling down on its new brand positioning, “Today We Play.”



The retailer announced it has begun testing an augmented reality app, called Play Chaser, in 23 stores nationwide, with a chainwide roll-out planned for Oct. 21. Developed in partnership with PlayFusion, the free app allows users to activate different AR mini games and play experiences on their smart device while in Toys "R" Us stores.



To see the app in action, click here.



To unlock the games, customers download the app and then scan the Play Chaser signage points that are located on Toys "R" Us' store shelves. More than 10 experiences are offered, including a virtual basketball hoop that kids can shoot at solo or alongside friends in-store. Some games even have leaderboards that show where players rank amongst each other in their local store and nationally.