The Pokémon Go Plus + is a handy addition to the game—when it works

As a sun-deprived remote worker, Pokémon Go’s 2016 arrival was a gift. My relationship with the augmented reality game has had definite ups and downs, but when a leg injury limited my mobility, PoGO encouraged me to get out and do what little walking I could. At other times in my life, I’ve closed out weeks averaging 6 miles a day or more.

I didn’t shell out for the original Pokémon Go Plus, but it stayed on my radar. I love playing, but I don’t want my face buried in my phone when walking near busy streets or hiking mountain trails. The thought of being able to play with my phone tucked safely in my pocket was exciting.

I never could quite justify the expense, but I jumped at the chance to test the Pokemon Go Plus +
(available at Best Buy for $54.99)

, an upgraded version of 2016’s Pokemon Go Plus (and goofily pronounced “Pokemon Go Plus plus,” or “doubleplus,” if you’re into Orwell). The device retails for $55, which is a fairly significant investment, but I hoped it would be worth it considering my investment into Pokémon Go.

About the Pokémon Go Plus +

The Pokémon Go Plus + lets you interact with PokéStops and throw Poké Balls automatically without needing to look at your device, or with the press of a button. The idea is to catch Pokémon and spin stops without having your face buried in your phone, diminishing the risk of bumping into other pedestrians or wandering into the street.

In some ways, this feels like the pinnacle of Pokémon Go’s mission: Niantic wants to get people outside and moving, and that the game itself is sort of an inconvenient middle step to that goal.

In addition to using the accessory to spin Pokéstops and attempt to catch Pokémon, connecting the device to the Pokémon Sleep app lets you collect sleep data less obtrusively.

How does the Pokémon Go Plus + work?

Using the Pokémon Go Plus + requires a compatible smart device with a Bluetooth connection. Once you’ve paired it to your smartphone, you then also pair it to your individual apps. In Pokémon Go, you do that through the “Connected devices and services” menu in your settings.

Once the two are talking to each other, the Pokémon Go Plus + will vibrate and glow with colors to alert you to in-game events. A green glow means a Pokemon is nearby. A blue glow means that you are near a PokéStop. Pressing the big button in the center of the device lets you interact with either, even with your phone locked.

You have a few options when catching Pokémon. You can press the button on the Pokémon Go Plus + to use each of the three main ball types (regular Poké Balls, Great Balls, and Ultra Balls). The “auto-catch” option that will automatically attempt to catch, but only with regular Poké Balls.) It won’t let you burn through your Ultra Balls without paying attention, even if you want to.)

In each case, the game will make one throw on your behalf that either succeeds or fails. The device flashes with a multitude of colors if you catch the little critter, or will buzz and glow red upon failure.

Spinning PokéStops can also be set to happen automatically or with a button press.

It sees you when you’re sleeping

Not content to fill your waking hours and workout routine with the little guys? The Pokémon Sleep app turn the Plus + into a something like Fitbit sleep tracker, except with Snorlax. Pokémon Sleep joins Pokémon Go and the toothbrush-tracking app Pokémon Smile. I’m half-expecting to see a game where Sylveon pops up and reminds you to take your medicine any day now.

Pokémon Sleep requires you to place your phone in the bed with you. (Several friends bounced off the app immediately because their phones fell on the floor.)

Setting the Pokémon Go Plus + near your pillow helps it monitor your sleeping habits and cycles. Sleep data gives you bonuses in Pokémon Go, as well as operating the primary game mechanic in Pokémon Sleep.

Pokémon Sleep is cute, but definitely more for kids. You join a sleep researcher working with Snorlax on a chain of tropical islands. Your sleep empowers the Snorlax, whose slumber draws other Pokémon near to it and lulls them to sleep in turn. When you awaken, you catalog the Pokémon lying nearby and their sleeping styles.

The first morning I woke up with Pokémon Sleep, I blearily tried to fire up the game and sync my sleep data. It showed me my results, including how long I slept and how deep my sleep was over the course of the night. It was interesting information, if nothing your average smartwatch couldn’t deliver.

Then it infodumped on me about game mechanics. I sleepily kept reading for fear of losing my progress, but I retained very little about how to play the game. I circled back with friends who’d also played, and they all communicated the same experience.

My sleep habits did improve a little—the bedtime helped in particular—but all in all there just isn’t much there, at least for adults.

It’s great, when it works

When it’s working as intended, Pokémon Go Plus + is a great, fun little addition to the game. Being able to just go on a walk and idly play the game is great. I covered more ground and got more exercise when I wasn’t stopping to look at my phone. It’s easier to play while walking my real-life pets, as well

When you do stop to look at your phone, the accessory has plenty to offer. It highlights and interacts with Pokémon and PokéStops, even while you’re raiding or fighting a Team GO Rocket grunt.

It helps you play the game in ways I hadn’t imagined and at speeds I wouldn’t have thought possible. If you’re a fan of Pokémon Go it adds a lot of fun, and that’s before you throw in daily bonuses for logging sleep data and the special little Snorlax you can earn in Pokémon Go through research tasks the device unlocks.

What We Don’t Love About the Pokémon Go Plus +

As much as it adds to the game, the overall user experience is unintuitive. Offhand, you’re looking at a device with one big button and a second, smaller power button. It shouldn’t be hard. Unfortunately, the device, the game, and the settings are all finicky enough that it took two weeks to get the device working as it should.

Niantic updated Pokémon Go about a week into testing, smoothing out our early difficulties. But I still had pitfalls in getting the device working when my phone was locked.

I disconnected and reconnected it; I restarted both the device and my phone. I spent a day blazing through 18 months’ worth of phone updates I’d ignored. I turned off all of my battery saver and data saver settings, and more.

I found others with the same issue on several subreddits and other forums, both with this device and with the original Pokémon Go Plus. The latter was never fixed after years of fan complaints. The consensus was that sometimes they just stopped working.

I finally got the device to work when I realized that one of my many phone updates had turned off push notifications for Pokémon Go. When I switched them back on, the device started working as intended. The thing is, I now have no way of knowing which of my other settings I can turn back on. It’s going to be a lot of trial and error.

There’s also no way to turn off the alarms. You can stop the device from talking to you in Pikachu’s voice. However, if you want to turn the flashing lights down for a late-night walk, you can’t (some Redditors have solved this by severing the internal LED wiring altogether). There’s similarly no way to turn the vibration off. You just get to walk around with a disco ball in your pocket.

Should you buy the Pokémon Go Plus +?

If you’ve learned from my mistakes and make sure your phone is fully updated and that notifications are enabled for the game, then I absolutely recommend the Pokémon Go Plus +. It’s a great addition that opens up fresh possibilities for both deeper, more frenetic gameplay and chill, hands-off enjoyment alike.

There are some definite caveats. It’s a little frustrating that a piece of hardware with a $55 MSRP is so powerfully temperamental. I hope the experience for new users is easier than for early adopters, but I don’t know that. If you’re getting this for a child, you’ll need to monitor it and make sure it’s working the way it’s supposed to.

Pokémon Go Plus +

Pokémon Go Plus + is fast, convenient to use, and lets you do more with Pokémon Go than ever.

$55 at Best Buy