The new Nintendo Pokémon Go Plus device goes on preorder and it judging by Amazon’s generous release date of 31 December 2016, we’re pretty certain that we’ll be getting the device this year at the least. If you’re living in Singapore like we are, the device is eligible for free shipping after hitting USD$125 so time to grab your buddies for a pre-order.
While 31 December 2016 might be ways off, Miyomoto let slip on stage at E3 by revealing that the device might release before the end of July for USD$34.99. This is interesting considering that the Pokémon Go game has yet to received a concrete release date. With Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, targeted for a release on 18 November 2016, timelines looks all over the place for a game release even by Nintendo standards.
For simplicity sake, here’s the probable timeline I’ve gathered from a few sources:
- Pokémon Go Plus Device [July 2016]
- Pokémon Go Mobile game [July/ August 2016]
- Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon [18 November 2016 – Confirmed]
Showing off the functionality of the Pokémon Go Plus device, it was revealed that the device will allow players to play the game without looking down at your phone at all. If you’re come in close proximity of a Pokémon while walking on the streets, device will vibrate and allows capture with a simple click of a button. The blinking lights on the device will indicate to the player if the catch was a success or a failure.
There was a mention that device, mobile app and 3DS games will all integrate together and we’ll be looking forward to how all three devices actually derive actual purpose on each platform’s core experience.
The Pokémon Go Plus connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth with Nintendo creating and manufacturing it themselves.
The greatest upside I can see about this device it that it looks totally classy and comes off as a subtle fashion accessory very much alike to the fitness trackers that we’ve come to see on many wrists these days.
If there’s one thing that Sony/Microsoft do not have over Nintendo would be the rabid fan following of Pokémon and we can expect that this will be a crazy hit at launch so better to pre-order if you’re a fan right now.
Gerald currently straddles between his love of video games and board gaming. There’s nothing that interests him more than trying out the newest and fanciest gadget in town as well. He dreams of publishing a board game sometime in the future!