Skip to main content

Niantic Spatial Lightship to Scaniverse Migration FAQ

1. What is happening to Lightship.dev and GSB?

Q: What is being deprecated?

Lightship.dev and the Geospatial Browser within the Scaniverse app are being deprecated.

After deprecation:

  • Lightship.dev will be read‑only for a short period (no new projects, POIs, or API key changes).

  • Users will be redirected from lightship.dev to scaniverse.nianticspatial.com/migrate-lightship for managing their VPS project data, and for creating new scans.

Q: Will Scaniverse connect to any games or affect gameplay?
No. Scaniverse is a standalone product and is not connected to any games. Sites or scans you create in Scaniverse will not appear as locations, points of interest, or content in any games.

Q: Will Scaniverse connect to any games or affect gameplay?
No. Scaniverse is a standalone product and is not connected to any games. Sites or scans you create in Scaniverse will not appear as locations, points of interest, or content in any games.

Q: When is this happening?

February 20, 2026 – Public Scaniverse (Enterprise) launches and Lightship users can begin their data migration.

February 28, 2026 – Lightship.dev site and the Geospatial Browser are shut down; visiting lightship.dev will redirect to the Scaniverse webpage.

2. What is Scaniverse?

Q: What is replacing Lightship and the Geospatial Browser?

Scaniverse Web is the new tool for:

  • Managing organizations (former workspaces).

  • Managing sites (former private/public POIs).

  • Viewing and generating VPS maps, meshes, splats, and other assets.

  • Managing API keys and JWT‑based service accounts.

Scaniverse (mobile) is the capture app used to:

  • Capture scans.

  • Upload to the cloud.

  • Generate assets and to and test localization.

Q: What’s new in Scaniverse?

Users will have new and expanded abilities to create VPS experiences. Including:

  • Private sites by default.

  • Full control over which scans to use for creating VPS maps and meshes.

  • New scanning guidance to ensure you can create robust VPS experiences.

There is no longer access to Public POIs for now. We will be following up with more news about Public Maps.

Q: What happens to my current Scaniverse account?

Your existing Scaniverse account can’t be used to sign in to a Scaniverse business account, and your business account won’t include your existing Scaniverse assets. To access those assets, log out and sign back in with your existing Scaniverse account.

3. What happens to my existing projects, POIs, and API keys?

Q: Will my existing Lightship projects still work?

Yes. The migration is designed so that:

Your existing workspaces, projects, POIs, scans, and assets are copied into a new schema and mapped into Scaniverse:

Lightship vs Scaniverse Table
Lightship Scaniverse
Workspace Organization
Developer Account User within Organization
Project Service Account
Private POI Private Site
Public POI on Project* Private Site (initially)
API Key API Key
Scans Scans

*Public POIs that you have contributed scans to will be available to you as a private site in Scaniverse.

Existing apps API keys will continue to work. Keys remain valid for verification and existing traffic. You will have the ability to deprecate and create new API keys for your projects in Scaniverse.

Q: Do I have to re‑scan everything or rebuild my app?

No re‑scan required just to keep current behavior:

  • Your migrated POIs, VPS maps and meshes remain available in Scaniverse.

  • Your existing apps can continue using existing keys while you plan any future NSDK 4.0 migration.

For new features (e.g. NSDK 4.0) you’ll need to use the new identity and APIs going forward.

4. How do I migrate my account?

Q: How will I know when it’s time to migrate?

All Lightship developers will receive migration emails on February 20th with a secure link to complete migration in Scaniverse.

The migration process will also be possible by visiting the Scaniverse website and selecting to migrate a Lightship account.

Note: Migration must be completed on desktop.

6. How long do I have to migrate?

Q: Do I need to migrate before Lightship is deprecated?

Although your projects will remain active without migration, we strongly encourage you to create a new Scaniverse business account to avail of all the new features. Self-serve migration will be possible for the next 12 months.

After this time, migration will be possible by contacting support@nianticspatial.com.

Q: When is the latest I can migrate?

While self-serve migration will be available for 12 months, after this time, migration will be possible by contacting support@nianticspatial.com.

7. Do I need to upgrade to NSDK 4.0 right away?

Q: Is NSDK 4.0 required to use migrated data?

No. The migration is designed so ARDK 3.x apps continue to function with existing keys and endpoints.

However, any new development should target NSDK 4.0 and the new Portal APIs for site discovery, auth, and VPS 2.0.

8. Where can I get more help?

Q: Who do I contact for migration issues?

For account or migration problems (e.g. missing projects, failed migration, confusing status), contact: support@nianticspatial.com (include your Lightship email and any project names you’re concerned about).

Q: Where can I learn more about Scaniverse?

Scaniverse web and mobile documentation will cover:

  • Signing up and managing organizations.

  • Creating and managing sites.

  • Capturing scans and generating assets.

  • Integrating with NSDK 4.0 and new APIs.

As migration and rollout progress, we’ll continue updating docs and examples to help you move from the Lightship stack to the new Niantic Spatial platform with as little friction as possible.