The life of a fledging Pokémon Go master is no cakewalk. It takes dozens upon dozens of hours to become the best there ever was, and that means constantly checking the game for nearby Pokémon to catch.
Thankfully, a new website called PokeVision helps to make the never-ending struggle a little bit easier. Here's how it works:
"PokeVision is a Pokemon tracker/locator for the mobile game Pokemon GO. It uses the Niantic API to grab the location of all Pokemon near your (or your selected location) and display them on the map in real-time; this means if it is displayed on the map, you can go out and catch them!"
All users have to do is type their address into the search bar, and soon, they'll be able to see all the catchable Pokémon in their area. It's a handy tool, not only for finding what type of creatures are nearby, but also to learn what type of pocket monsters appear in nearby towns or even cities across the country. The site even displays how long any particular Pokémon will be available for catching before it disappears.
However, there are a few caveats. Because the site uses the actual game's API, periods during which the Pokémon GO servers are down or experience issues that cause the site to also have problems. It's also important to note that Pokémon spawned as a result of lures or incense won't appear on the map, as those Pokémon are specific to individual players. Scans also take around five to 15 seconds to complete, and can only be refreshed every 30 seconds or so.
Still, the site is a useful tool for aspiring Pokémon masters who are at home and don't want to constantly have the battery-draining game pulled up on their phone. Simply having an extra tab open with PokeVision in an internet browser is a great and efficient way to make sure players don't miss any important Pokémon lurking around.
That is, as long as the game's servers are working. The game has been around for two weeks now, yet the servers still regularly have problems due to the millions of people playing the game. Those numbers of players will only go up in the coming days and weeks, as the game hasn't yet launched in Japan.
