• by Colin Kirkland , October 30, 2025

As Snapchat continues to expand the utility of its augmented reality Lens technology, the social-media company has announced its first Lens designed to scan the surface of the moon as part of an Xbox gaming launch.

Celebrating the release of Xbox's “The Outer Worlds 2,” Snap's new Lens uses compasses and “celestial tracking technology” -- as Snap explains in a blog post -- that invites users to scan the moon “in any weather and lighting condition” and transform it into the game's mascot, Moon Man.

Users will also see the mascot take part in various game-related stories, and will have the option to flip their Snapchat camera to see their selfie image become a version of the Moon Man, offering an immersive and sharable way for Xbox to market its latest title.

In a written statement, Microsoft's Vice President of Games Marketing Aaron Greenberg says Xbox was hopeful that Snap’s Lens would embody the game’s irreverence and sense of humor, giving fans a playful third-party experience with the game that aligned with its brand.

Snapchat’s partnership with the Microsoft-owned gaming company also includes a real-life custom telescope inspired by the game and powered by Snap's AR technology.

The partnership between Snap and Xbox comes at a time when both companies are facing branding dilemmas related to their business models.

Xbox is attempting to quell user complaints in the wake of notable price hikes for its consoles and Game Pass. In response to these changes, major retailer outlets such as Costco have recently discontinued the sale of Xbox hardware.

At the same time, Snapchat is struggling to compete with bigger, wealthier tech giants like Meta as both its advertising business and user base in key regions like North America become stagnant.

Known for its proprietary Lens technology, the company is currently attempting to expand its Lens filter playbook with AI-generation in order to attract advertisers like Xbox as well as more active users.