On March 18, 2026, POPOPO Co., Ltd. held a service launch event for its new smartphone app, “POPOPO.” The event was streamed on POPOPO’s official YouTube channel. The app will be available for use from 3 PM on the same day.
The newly announced “POPOPO” has five key features. The first is “a video phone that doesn’t require a camera.” There’s no need to prepare a camera or show your face; anyone can use it with a smartphone.
The second feature is “cinematic camerawork.” The camera automatically switches to match the flow of the conversation. Every shot is supervised by director Makoto Tezuka, and the number of shots is equivalent to that of a full-length theatrical film.
The third feature is “the ability to broadcast conversations without showing your face.” You can start broadcasting like a radio show and even solicit topics from viewers. The fourth is “the lottery function.” You may receive a call from someone you follow, and if you win, you can have a one-on-one call. The fifth is “Holo Suits.” These are not avatars but rather clothing that you change like fashion items, and the lineup changes daily.
Takeru Actor Satoh appeared at the press conference. Drawing on his experience as a streamer, he commented on the app’s features, saying, “When I first saw the screen, I was surprised by the high quality.” Visualist and film director Tezuka Makoto, who was in charge of the camerawork, said about the camerawork, “Once everyone has become familiar with POPOPO, I think we may add even more interesting and elaborate camerawork, so please look forward to it.”
In addition, the board members Anno Hideaki, GACKT, Nishimura Hiroyuki, Kawakami Nobuo, and President and CEO Yagura Junnosuke took the stage for the introduction of the executives.
Regarding future developments, they are considering monetization strategies centered on premium users and avatars. They also revealed that development of a PC version is currently underway, but there was no mention of VR headset support. They stated that they will consider supporting VR headsets if the transition from smartphones to next-generation devices progresses.
To commemorate the launch of the service, a “Win 100 Yen Million All for Yourself!! Make Just a Call with POPOPO Campaign” will also be held. During the campaign period, one lucky person will win 100 million yen just by making a call with POPOPO. The campaign runs from March 19th to April 19th, 2026. Kuruma Takahira of Roman Reiwa has been appointed as the CM character. For more details, please visit the campaign website.
This article is an English translation of an original Japanese article, translated by the Mogura VR editorial team.
reference
https://www.popopo.com/ja/
https://www.youtube.com/live/7Bd8I8NI15Q
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000003.000178219.html
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