The release of Poke Ball Plus has given Pokemon GO players yet another choice for improving their gaming experience and making it more simple than ever before to capture the monsters, increase your levels, and spin the Pokestops.
The first device to be released – the long-awaited Pokemon GO Plus – has been joined by three more interesting options over the last few years. And we’ll go through each one to see which one deserves your vote.
Pokemon GO Plus
The app was released shortly after the release of the application in itself it was launched shortly after the release of the app itself. Pokemon GO Plus is a device that is worn around your wrist or placed on something else and lets you interact with the game’s features without removing the phone out of its pockets. The device has a single button that can be hit for spinning Pokestops or to catch monsters. An LED in the button informs you of the situation; a blinking blue LED signifies that you’re in the vicinity of the Pokestop and green indicates there’s a monster waiting be captured. A red LED that flashes indicates the attempt to capture been unsuccessful, while a multicolored one indicates a successful capture.
The unit is powered by one CR2032 battery that lasts for months, this Pokemon GO Plus is a small, but useful accessory that has played an important part in the Pokemon GO experience since launch. Although it’s not listed as water-proof however, our device has (accidentally) been thrown through the wash several occasions and has remained in perfect working order.
Unfortunately, it appears that Nintendo is gradually removing the GO Plus now that the Poke Ball Plus is available in the market, and is currently not available at a variety of retailers. As consequently, the units are currently increasing in price.
Go-tcha
The device was launched in 2017 by Datel The Go-tcha is the very first in Datel’s efforts to enhance the fundamental Pokemon GO Plus concept. It’s based on a low-cost Chinese fitness tracker that comes with a custom-built software that allows it to emulate the features of Pokemon GO Plus.
The main difference apart from the fact that it is equipped with a tiny OLED display The Go-tcha is able to handle everything on its own; you don’t have to push the button to do things such as spinning Pokestops, or catching monsters. Once you’re within the range of the device, it does all this automatically. It may sound cheesy but there are occasions that it’s not practical to continue pressing the button on Pokemon GO Plus (when you’re driving, for instance).
The Go-tcha runs on an rechargeable battery that lasts about a day. You’ll be required to recharge this quite a lot. As a matter of fact, two of the units we have at Nintendo Life are dead and have stopped charging the batteries, and both are older than a year and not covered by Datel’s warranty.
Go-tcha Ranger
The sequel to the first Go-tcha The Ranger utilizes the same technology, but includes some cool additional features. Most noticeable is the more stamina. the battery inside is bigger and can last for weeks The Ranger has been in our possession since July and only used it for around four times. It’s also possible to use the Ranger as a charger for your phone however it’s not able to fully recharge it to the full capacity of Galaxy S9+ so it’s not a great option. There’s also an LED torch and compass The latter has helped us locate various things in darkness (dropped keys, mostly).
In contrast to the original Go-tcha the battery of this model is quite durable and still working after 5 months of continuous everyday usage. It’s only a minor drawback the fact that it’s quite big and isn’t able to be worn around the wrist like other Pokemon GO Plus and Go-tcha devices. But it’s the main device we utilize for our hunts with monsters – and we don’t really see the latest Poke Ball Plus changing that.
Poke Ball Plus
While it’s mostly advertised as an instrument for Pokemon Let’s Go this Poke Ball Plus can also operate as a standard Pokemon GO Plus device. When it’s connected to your smartphone it will do exactly what it does with the basic version, by pressing the B button that allows users to spin and try to catch. It does however offer an advantage over the standard version – when you’ve got a monster that is inside, it’ll automatically collect objects from the nearby Pokestops without having to take action. Bonus!
Contrary to the standard model it comes with an rechargeable battery that is, even if you’re playing Pokemon GO, lasts for several hours. A USB Type-C cable that is used to charge it is supplied within the packaging.
The disadvantages are evident The negatives are obvious; this is a bigger device and can’t be worn around the wrist. Also, it’s quite costly and you may be wary about taking it out of your home and possibly losing it.
Go-tcha Evolve
We can’t discredit the Go-tcha Evolution. It’s a step up from the original version and the fully-color screen is an absolute bonus. It’s a little bigger however it’s not unattractive – and it’s not a problem wearing it when you’re out and out and. The battery life is decent and the fact that it monitors your steps and assists in monster hunting is even more attractive (especially since taking part in Pokemon GO is sure to make you more active). At the moment it appears to be the ideal device for avid Pokemon GO players.
The Verdict
The new Poke Ball Plus looks amazing from a style standpoint however, it’s the Go-tcha Evolve is the best option in our opinion. It’s comfortable, durable and looks great, too, and the capacity to charge through USB is fantastic. It’s our pick for the best Pokemon GO companion device.