Up close with Skyrocket's Recoil augmented reality blasters

If laser tag were invented in 2017, it might look like this: Recoil, an augmented reality game that turns your phone and a set of headphones into an augmented reality arena for up to 16 players. 

The app not only keeps track of your ammo and health, it shows you objectives and even walks you back to respawn when you die. Plug in a pair of headphones and you can hear where enemy shots are coming from and voice chat with teammates.

For US $130 (no plans for UK or Australia quite yet), the starter kit comes with two of these rapid-fire pistols with removable phone mounts...

...and a miniature, battery-powered Wi-Fi router that keeps track of the game. Just place it wherever you'd like to play, and it creates a virtual playfield with a 250-foot radius.

When you pull the trigger, each blaster fires both short and long-range infrared emitters, and flashes red.

You'll find hit detectors on the front and sides of each weapon.

And the starter kit comes with two clip-on wired sensors you can attach to the blaster for full coverage.

Why are they called Recoil? Whenever you pull the trigger, integrated force feedback gives you a tactile sensation while you're shooting.

To reload, you just smack this button on the bottom of the grip, as if you were inserting a new magazine.

There's also a GoPro-compatible mount on the front of each weapon.

In addition to the pistols (extras cost $50 each, by the way), there's an optional $80 rifle with more "ammo" and what feels like better accuracy at range.

Each blaster has fiber-optic sights so you can easily line up shots. The company says the blasters should be accurate out to 300 feet.

Despite the force feedback, the company says they should last up to 200 hours on a set of AA batteries.

Grenades cost $15 each. They're covered with rubber padding, but you still won't want to throw them at people.

The phone mounts are interchangeable -- you can mount them on either side of the gun. They do a pretty good job of holding a phone secure and steady, in our early tests.

With the pistol, the push-to-talk voice chat button is on the very back of the gun. 

With the rifle, it's this red button here.

Also, note that the rails are purely decorative: Skyrocket Toys doesn't have any plans for attachments.

Throwing the grenade up in the air.

Shouldering the rifle.

One last look at Skyrocket Recoil.