Pokémon Go players, and fans of having some charge in their phone battery, will be disappointed to learn the Pokémon Go Plus wearable has been delayed. Instead of launching in July, it will now be ready to adorn wrists in September. The news comes from Nintendo of America’s official Twitter account, but no reason for the delay has been offered, and because no exactly date has been given, the wait for release may extend to two months from now.
We’ll go ahead and assume you’re aware of Pokémon Go, the mobile gaming phenomenon that has captured worldwide attention since its release, but you may not be aware of the Pokémon Go Plus. It’s a Bluetooth accessory for Pokémon Go players to wear, that vibrates and lights up an LED to alert you of a nearby Pokémon or Pokéstop. The idea is to lessen the need to stare at your smartphone, meaning fewer angry pedestrians, fewer fatal accidents, and more battery life for your phone.
Once a Pokémon that’s in need of catching has been found, a press of the button will throw a Pokéball, and more vibrations and flashes will let you know if you caught it. It’s not clear whether you need to have the app open at the time, or if you’ll need to trust the Pokémon Go Plus’s honesty when it comes to successful catches. Otherwise, it could be a very fast way to waste Pokéballs. The accessory can be worn attached to a wrist strap, or clipped to a shirt or pocket, and we’re hoping it’ll double as a pedometer to help hatch those eggs.
Pre-orders for the Pokémon Go Plus have ended, and Nintendo, along with Amazon, are showing the device as unavailable or out of stock. While pre-orders may open up again soon due to the delay, the only way to ensure you’re one of the first at the moment is to buy a pre-order space through eBay, where prices are sadly two to three times the actual cost of the product.
