Nintendo's wearable accessory for its recently licensed mobile hit, Pokémon Go, the Plus, is now here, bringing with it some interesting features for the discerning Pokémon Go player, but is it worth the $30 price tag?
The Pokémon Go Plus is a wrist mounted or clippable bluetooth accessory that connects to your phone wirelessly and lets you play the game without constantly looking at your phone. The idea is that you leave your phone in your pocket and when the Plus lights up, you can press the button in the middle of the Pokéball and it will throw a Pokéball in the game, trying to catch the pocket monster you're up against.
This means that your phone can stay dark and therefore use much less battery than if the screen is on constantly while you check it. It also means you don't have to pull it out of your pocket every few minutes to catch something - another bonus.
It even continues to measure the distance you've travelled even if your phone is again, blacked out, so it makes it so you can play without being quite so tethered to your phone.
However there are some downsides. For starters, you don't know what Pokémon you're trying to catch when it lights up, so you could be spending your time catching nonsense that you don't need. You also only get one chance to capture them before they run away, so it is technically harder to play with the Plus than without.
You don't have to worry about it wasting your ultra balls though, as the Plus only throws Pokéballs - though that could prove problematic if higher level Pokémon come along.
It's also not cheap. At $30 it doesn't offer a lot for the money and in reality, it's playing the game for you. As much as it's good to save battery life by not having your phone out, if you aren't looking at the Pokémon and flinging Pokéballs yourself, what kind of game are you really playing?
