The elusive Pokémon GO Plus accessory is now up for preorder at Best Buy, but it won't ship in time for the holidays.
Pokémon GO stirred a worldwide frenzy when it launched this summer, and it quickly turned into a phenomenon, engaging millions of people into the augmented reality adventure.
The Pokémon GO Plus accessory was initially supposed to launch back in July, but the release was then delayed to September. While the accessory did hit the market in September, it was only in limited supply, and it was very hard to come by. Pokémon GO Plus sold out in no time, and it just started to become available for preorder again.
Pokémon GO Plus Preorders
The accessory first went up for preorder on Amazon from various sellers, with shipping dates varying from Dec. 19, 2016 to February 2017. Best Buy has now opened preorders for the Pokémon GO Plus accessory as well, and it will ship preorders by Jan. 20, 2017.
It's worth pointing out that while the price varies between $75 and $150 on Amazon, depending on the seller, Best Buy offers the accessory at its original $34.99 price.
Pokémon GO Plus Features
Pokémon GO Plus is a companion accessory for the immensely popular Pokémon GO game, allowing users to locate the elusive monsters and catch them. The accessory can be worn either as a bracelet or clipped to one's clothes or bag. It syncs with a smartphone via Bluetooth and lights up and vibrates when it detects a Pokémon in sight. This allows users to stay alert in the game without having Pokémon GO open on their phones at all times.
The accessory also makes it easier to catch Pokémon, as all it takes is a button press on the Pokémon GO Plus instead of tapping the smartphone's display to aim for the Pokémon.
Pokémon GO Plus also has a load of other neat features, enabling users to collect items such as Pokémon Eggs, PokéBalls, and Berries at designated PokéStops without having to pull out their smartphone.
New Pokémon GO Partners
Speaking of PokéStops, Sprint has recently become the first Pokémon GO partner in the United States, and as part of the deal, it's turning its Sprint, Boost Mobile, and Sprint at RadioShack stores into PokéStops and Gyms. The Sprint Pokémon GO experience will kick off on Dec. 12, the same day that the game is set to receive a major update with new Pokémon, costumes, Pokémon genders, Trainer customizations, and more.
In addition to Sprint, Starbucks has also turned more than 7,800 of its shops into PokéStops and Gyms.
