Okay, this is going to be a long one because I did a lot of research on this and it still did things I didn't expect, I'll also be going over some common feedback in the other reviews.
It does currently work with both Pokemon Go and Pokemon Sleep.
I have it paired with an iPhone 13 pro max.
If you want to walk, enjoy your walk, and get Pokemon and Pokestops still? This is for you.
It will catch Pokemon and spin Pokestops, and it will do it while you're driving. (Though your mileage may vary on that feature depending on how fast you're going. It'll work passivly in town, less so at highway speeds.)
It goes for Pokemon before Pokestops, even if you have auto throw off. I think if you turned "identify pokemon" off, it would work better for just Stops while driving especially. Otherwise, you're going to need to be in the area for a bit. While walking, I haven't had an issue with it missing stops.
Changing the type of Pokeball thrown only counts for when it isn't in auto throw. It will only auto throw plain Pokeballs. But you can select Great and Ultra balls for the button press. Which works pretty well.
Out of auto throw, this is how it operates:
The device will vibrate and flash a green light in the button until it's pressed, at which time it throws a Pokeball. It will then vibrate and flash white up to three times, representing the three times the Pokeball shakes before a catch. If you catch the Pokemon, it will vibrate and flash rainbow. If you don't catch the Pokemon, it will vibrate and flash red.
It's catching the same Pokemon that are showing up in game, though sometimes it will catch Pokemon randomly that don't appear at all. Bonus Pokemon, I guess. You'll see what Pokemon it's honed in on by the pink Pokeball that will show up above its head.
I can't tell you what it does for Pokestops, because I can't tell it from the rest of it going mad around Pokemon. It either flashes yellow and then rainbow, or just flashes rainbow.
None of this operation is explicitly written anywhere that I can find.
It only stays connected for an hour, after which you'll have to reconnect it via an in-app button or the button on the device. (See setting screenshots)
The Pikachu voice is too much for me, but it's cute. I could see some people liking it, but most will probably turn it off.
You can track sleep in Pokemon Go, and it's part of a task to get the sleepy Snorlax. You also get Stardust, some very cute stickers of sleeping Pokemon, and hearts with your buddy for doing so. To do this, you hold the button down for a second or so and it will flash blue. Then it does nothing while you sleep. You hold it down again when you wake up, then reconnect it to Pokemon Go to get your rewards. You can connect it to Pokemon Sleep afterward as well. It seems to play just like it would if you tracked sleep in the app.
It doesn't light up while you're sleeping, and doesn't vibrate unless you lay on it accidentally.
The light is bright, but it's only in the center button. You could easily cover it with a sticker to make it more dim. I see those are sold on Amazon and are popular with Plus users.
I haven't found the vibration to be much stronger than my phone's is. Though, if you have it touching something made of a hard material, it will make a loud rattling noise. I currently have its lanyard attached to my phone so that it hangs down when my phone is in my pocket, and I can't feel it when it goes off at all. You could easily attach it to a backpack or bag and have it not annoy you. They also make silicone cases for them that will dampen all of this. Mine hasn't made it here yet, so I'm on the standard lanyard. The standard lanyard has issues, but of course it does. It has a magnetic clip attached that's cute, but I don't trust enough to use.
Its catch rate is pretty freaking good, all things considered. I've had it catch three star final evolution Pokemon with one regular Pokeball. The rates of zero star to three star Pokemon are the same you get as when you just catch everything around you, anyway.
I have not had any issues with it running out of Pokeballs unexpectedly. I drive past enough stops on my way anywhere that I'm now flush will all berries and ball types. Running out? Drive around for a few minutes. I even live in a small town where most of the stops are churches and historical markers and I have no issues. I actually had to buy more bag storage, which is annoying. If you live in an area with zero Pokestops, this may become an issue.
Its battery life seems to be wonderful, I haven't had it die yet. I just plug it in every few days and try to not forget it. I've had zero issues. It charges with USB-C, and they include a cord.
Overall, I'm very happy with it. If you hate vibration you can't turn off, this is probably not for you. If you absolutely need auto throw with great and ultra balls, this is not for you.
But, really, I haven't found myself minding that. I'm more annoyed by the lack of clarity behind the device as a whole. I couldn't find anything other than reviews that explained how the thing worked. That's very frustrating. Nintendo seems to play by, "Spend $55 bucks on this and you'll figure it out, trust us." Which is pretty ridiculous. I still haven't figured out how stops work outside of auto spin and i've had it for a week. That's silly.
I also wish there was a more direct way to get it to only spin stops, and that the settings menu wasn't so buried.
I'm happy that I can go about my walks or visit a zoo or museum and not be glued to my phone. It's still tracking my walking, I'm still getting the gamified features of exercise with the app, but I'm not missing out on things I could see at the same time. I'm also not putting myself in danger by being distracted while while walking, or having to pull over while driving to get stops. So I'm very pleased, despite the flaws.
Pokémon GO Plus +
4.5 | 2,380 ratings
Price: 54.99
Last update: 10-03-2024
About this item
Catch Pokémon and track your rest rhythm with the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory!
Keep track of your sleep with the press of a button
Press and hold the central button on the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory and place it by your pillow to track your rest rhythm on the Pokémon Sleep app
There’s a Pikachu within your Pokémon GO Plus + that can sing you lullabies and act as your morning alarm; Pikachu grows friendlier the more you sleep, unlocking even more sounds!
Spin PokéStops or throw Poké Balls automatically in Pokémon GO for hands-free gameplay (and Great Balls and Ultra Balls can be thrown too!)
Keep track of your sleep with the press of a button
Press and hold the central button on the Pokémon GO Plus + accessory and place it by your pillow to track your rest rhythm on the Pokémon Sleep app
There’s a Pikachu within your Pokémon GO Plus + that can sing you lullabies and act as your morning alarm; Pikachu grows friendlier the more you sleep, unlocking even more sounds!
Spin PokéStops or throw Poké Balls automatically in Pokémon GO for hands-free gameplay (and Great Balls and Ultra Balls can be thrown too!)
Product information
| ASIN | B09Z16XWH9 |
|---|---|
| Release date | July 14, 2023 |
| Customer Reviews |
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars
2,304 ratings
4.5 out of 5 stars |
| Best Sellers Rank | #1,806 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games) #214 in Nintendo Switch Accessories |
| Package Dimensions | 5.79 x 3.27 x 1.46 inches; 1.98 Pounds |
| Type of item | Video Game |
| Rated | Rating Pending |
| Item model number | PMCAWNSAA |
| Item Weight | 1.98 pounds |
| Manufacturer | Nintendo |
| Batteries | 1 CR123A batteries required. |
| Date First Available | April 30, 2023 |
Top reviews from the United States
JD
It works! 5-10-24 Full explanation of features with Pokemon Go below.
Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2024
JD
Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2024
It does currently work with both Pokemon Go and Pokemon Sleep.
I have it paired with an iPhone 13 pro max.
If you want to walk, enjoy your walk, and get Pokemon and Pokestops still? This is for you.
It will catch Pokemon and spin Pokestops, and it will do it while you're driving. (Though your mileage may vary on that feature depending on how fast you're going. It'll work passivly in town, less so at highway speeds.)
It goes for Pokemon before Pokestops, even if you have auto throw off. I think if you turned "identify pokemon" off, it would work better for just Stops while driving especially. Otherwise, you're going to need to be in the area for a bit. While walking, I haven't had an issue with it missing stops.
Changing the type of Pokeball thrown only counts for when it isn't in auto throw. It will only auto throw plain Pokeballs. But you can select Great and Ultra balls for the button press. Which works pretty well.
Out of auto throw, this is how it operates:
The device will vibrate and flash a green light in the button until it's pressed, at which time it throws a Pokeball. It will then vibrate and flash white up to three times, representing the three times the Pokeball shakes before a catch. If you catch the Pokemon, it will vibrate and flash rainbow. If you don't catch the Pokemon, it will vibrate and flash red.
It's catching the same Pokemon that are showing up in game, though sometimes it will catch Pokemon randomly that don't appear at all. Bonus Pokemon, I guess. You'll see what Pokemon it's honed in on by the pink Pokeball that will show up above its head.
I can't tell you what it does for Pokestops, because I can't tell it from the rest of it going mad around Pokemon. It either flashes yellow and then rainbow, or just flashes rainbow.
None of this operation is explicitly written anywhere that I can find.
It only stays connected for an hour, after which you'll have to reconnect it via an in-app button or the button on the device. (See setting screenshots)
The Pikachu voice is too much for me, but it's cute. I could see some people liking it, but most will probably turn it off.
You can track sleep in Pokemon Go, and it's part of a task to get the sleepy Snorlax. You also get Stardust, some very cute stickers of sleeping Pokemon, and hearts with your buddy for doing so. To do this, you hold the button down for a second or so and it will flash blue. Then it does nothing while you sleep. You hold it down again when you wake up, then reconnect it to Pokemon Go to get your rewards. You can connect it to Pokemon Sleep afterward as well. It seems to play just like it would if you tracked sleep in the app.
It doesn't light up while you're sleeping, and doesn't vibrate unless you lay on it accidentally.
The light is bright, but it's only in the center button. You could easily cover it with a sticker to make it more dim. I see those are sold on Amazon and are popular with Plus users.
I haven't found the vibration to be much stronger than my phone's is. Though, if you have it touching something made of a hard material, it will make a loud rattling noise. I currently have its lanyard attached to my phone so that it hangs down when my phone is in my pocket, and I can't feel it when it goes off at all. You could easily attach it to a backpack or bag and have it not annoy you. They also make silicone cases for them that will dampen all of this. Mine hasn't made it here yet, so I'm on the standard lanyard. The standard lanyard has issues, but of course it does. It has a magnetic clip attached that's cute, but I don't trust enough to use.
Its catch rate is pretty freaking good, all things considered. I've had it catch three star final evolution Pokemon with one regular Pokeball. The rates of zero star to three star Pokemon are the same you get as when you just catch everything around you, anyway.
I have not had any issues with it running out of Pokeballs unexpectedly. I drive past enough stops on my way anywhere that I'm now flush will all berries and ball types. Running out? Drive around for a few minutes. I even live in a small town where most of the stops are churches and historical markers and I have no issues. I actually had to buy more bag storage, which is annoying. If you live in an area with zero Pokestops, this may become an issue.
Its battery life seems to be wonderful, I haven't had it die yet. I just plug it in every few days and try to not forget it. I've had zero issues. It charges with USB-C, and they include a cord.
Overall, I'm very happy with it. If you hate vibration you can't turn off, this is probably not for you. If you absolutely need auto throw with great and ultra balls, this is not for you.
But, really, I haven't found myself minding that. I'm more annoyed by the lack of clarity behind the device as a whole. I couldn't find anything other than reviews that explained how the thing worked. That's very frustrating. Nintendo seems to play by, "Spend $55 bucks on this and you'll figure it out, trust us." Which is pretty ridiculous. I still haven't figured out how stops work outside of auto spin and i've had it for a week. That's silly.
I also wish there was a more direct way to get it to only spin stops, and that the settings menu wasn't so buried.
I'm happy that I can go about my walks or visit a zoo or museum and not be glued to my phone. It's still tracking my walking, I'm still getting the gamified features of exercise with the app, but I'm not missing out on things I could see at the same time. I'm also not putting myself in danger by being distracted while while walking, or having to pull over while driving to get stops. So I'm very pleased, despite the flaws.
Images in this review
Kenneth
The perfect add on for Pokemon Go and Pokemon Sleep!
Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2024Amazon Customer
Really earns that extra +
Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2024