Nintendo has announced a delay for the release of its Pokemon Go Plus devices on Twitter. The release of the device was scheduled by the end of July 2016, but it has now been moved to September.
As reported by Forbes, the delay is due to the non-availability of an app update to sync with the device. A Nintendo spokesman told TechRadar that this delay is so Nintendo can ensure the delivery of a high-quality Pokemon Go experience with Pokemon Go Plus.
The #PokemonGO Plus accessory will now be released Sept 2016 instead of the originally expected end of July launch. https://t.co/QgjZf1aAV6
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) July 27, 2016
The price of the additional accessory to play Pokemon Go is set at $34.99. Pokemon Go Plus is a portable Pokeball shaped wearable which will connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth Low Energy. The wearable will vibrate and flash its LED light to notify the player of nearby Pokemon and Pokestops. Players will also be able to catch Pokemon by pushing a button on top of Pokemon Go Plus. Although it is not mandatory to own a Plus device to the play the game, it reduces dependency on opening your smartphone every now and then to check for nearby Pokemon. The wearable is probably the main reason why Pokemon Go does not have support for Android Wear or Apple Watch.
Pre-orders for Pokemon Go Plus opened last month and it was sold out in no time. Because of the delay, Nintendo has sent apologies to customers and offered discounts on next purchases to users.
In a short time, Pokemon Go has taken the world by storm. It is surpassing Twitter’s active user base numbers. It has also set a record for most downloads for an app in its first week in App Store. All this has happened while the game is only available in 30+ countries.
If you are still on the bench and have not given the game a try, check out our Pokemon Go guide to help you get started.
