Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Just tap this wristband to easily capture pocket monsters in ‘Pokémon Go’

By Julian Chokkattu June 17, 2016

Pokemon GO Plus — Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’re keeping close watch on the development of Nintendo’s second mobile app, Pokémon Go, you know you’ve gotta catch ’em all when it’s finally out in July. But we live busy lives, and rather than opening up the app every time a wild Pokémon appears, Nintendo’s made a wearable to make things easier.

The Pokémon Go Plus is a wrist wearable that features the prominent Pokéball design as a button. The band pairs with your smartphone via Bluetooth, and it’s meant to be an accessory to the highly anticipated augmented reality game, Pokémon Go. The iOS and Android game is similar to Ingress, which was developed by the same studio — Niantic, Inc. Pokémon appear based on your location, and you can catch them, train them, and compete to be the king of gyms.

The game and the wearable were announced last year, and while Nintendo has teased Pokémon Go gameplay since then, we haven’t heard much about this accessory. But that’s starting to change, because you can now pre-order the Pokémon Go Plus on Amazon for $35.

Once your Plus is connected to your phone, it will vibrate whenever a wild Pokémon appears. Just tap the Pokéball button and your character will throw a ball at the Pokémon to capture it — your phone can remain in your pocket. The Plus will flash red if the attempt is failed, or it will flash a rainbow pattern if you successfully capture the Pokémon.

o

You’ll also be able to tap the button on the Plus to “collect Pokéballs, Berries, Pokémon eggs and other items at set PokéStop locations,” according to the Amazon listing.

The device is an odd companion to the game, as you won’t be able to tell what Pokémon you’re capturing — you’ll have to take out your smartphone anyway to see that.

Amazon lists the Plus as being available by December 31. It’s likely that could be just a placeholder date, as Pokémon Go is set to come out in July.

Pre-order on Amazon

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Julian Chokkattu

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Julian is the mobile and wearables editor at Digital Trends, covering smartphones, fitness trackers, smartwatches, and more…

Gaming

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: all version differences

pokemon scarlet and violet paldea terastal sprinting build koraidon

Ever since generation one, the Pokémon franchise has launched with two versions for every mainline release. We started with Red and Blue, but have now reached the ninth generation with Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. This is the biggest leap the series has had, taking cues from the recent Pokémon Legends: Arceus and giving us a fully open world to explore on our Pokémon adventure. Naturally, there will be new critters to find, catch, train, and evolve, as well as a new story.

However, the nature of releasing two versions isn't just a marketing stunt. Pokémon Scarlet andViolet, just like all the other pairs of titles, have some key differences in content that are meant to encourage players to cooperate with friends who have the opposite version. However, knowing what each version has beforehand may influence your decision on which one to get since many things, including Pokémon, can only be found in one version or another. Before you head out on this new adventure to catch 'em all, check out all the differences between Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

Gaming

Bizarre Pokémon Scarlet and Violet glitch doubles your running speed

Four character run in different direction in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are among 2022's glitchier video game releases due to issues with constant pop-in, camera clipping, multiplayer, Koraidon getting stuck in a handstand, and more. Now, players have found a glitch that allows the player character to walk around much faster than intended. If you're not riding or dashing on the back of Koraidon, walking around in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is pretty slow. Reddit user hamsterhead64 discovered a strange glitch that will speed up the player's exploration, though. By simply connecting a second controller to the Nintendo Switch while playing Pokémon Scarlet or Violet and pointing both left control sticks at an angle, the player character will move faster in that direction. You can see this glitch in action in the video below, which was reposted to Twitter by @Munosnail.
https://twitter.com/munosnail/status/1594292538898321414
Independently verified by GameXplain and the team at Digital Trends, this glitch is an easy way to get a notable speed boost in the open-world Pokémon games, at least until Game Freak patches it out. This method does not work while riding Koraidon or Miraidon.
Pokemon's transition to a more open-world format hasn't been the smoothest one. Pokémon Legends: Arceus also had its own traversal glitch. In that game, players could climb up steep slopes by quickly aiming and canceling a Pokéball throw. The limits of the Nintendo Switch and Game Freak's game engine are clearly starting to show in the latest Pokémon games, but this is likely something that will be fixed eventually in a post-launch patch.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are available now exclusively for Nintendo Switch.

Gaming

Pokémon Violet and Scarlet are an even bigger leap forward than they seem

A pokemon terrestalizes in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

When I walked into my hourlong demo of Pokémon Violet and Scarlet, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew that developer Game Freak was serious about shaking up the franchise’s established formula after it delivered this year’s Pokémon Legends Arceus, a game that radically departed from the traditional RPG mold, but that was more of a spinoff experiment. Scarlet and Violet would be the real deal: mainline entries that would determine the true future of the series. Would we actually see a radical reinvention or would Game Freak play it safe, making another small step toward lasting change?

Jump into a Paldean Journey | Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet