After encouraging gamers to exercise with Pokémon GO, the Pokémon Company now wants those same users to get some rest with Pokémon Sleep.
The gaming giant unveiled plans for the new app on Twitter earlier this week, suggesting Pokémon Sleep could do for snoozin’ what its predecessor did for walkin’.
“In 2016, Pokémon GO turned the simple act of walking into entertainment, making the entire world into a game,” read the tweet. “We’re about to do it again, Trainers—this time, for sleeping.”
Announcement 3⃣
What if you could continue training your Pokémon…even in your sleep? ?
In 2016, Pokémon GO turned the simple act of walking into entertainment, making the entire world into a game. We’re about to do it again, Trainers—this time, for sleeping.
— Pokémon (@Pokemon) May 29, 2019
So… how exactly does it work?
Though the company didn’t go into too much detail on Twitter (or in the accompanying press conference), we’ve managed to figure out the game will be powered by sleep data gathered from a new device called the Pokémon GO Plus +.
The aptly named Pokémon GO Plus-Plus (real name, hilarious, we know) is just like the original Pokémon GO Plus in that it’s a small device that connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth for easy play when you don’t wanna stare at your screen. However, and this is where that extra plus comes in, it can also track your sleep, much like a FitBit would.
Basically, interested Trainers would need to snag the new device and keep it next to their pillow while they slumber. The Plus-Plus would then monitor their movements in the night and assign in-game points based on their overall “sleep quality.” We’re not exactly sure how the brand plans to determine “sleep quality,” but it seems like players will be rewarded for getting their 40 winks (and then some!).
⬇️ Pokémon GO Plus + Details ⬇️
☀️ Use it as a Pokémon GO Plus during the day.
? Put it next to your pillow at night to track your time sleeping.
? It sends this sleep information to your smartphone via Bluetooth. #PokemonGOPlusPlus— Pokémon (@Pokemon) May 29, 2019
I Thought Sleep Trackers Weren’t Reliable?
You’re not totally wrong. We’ve written plenty about sleep trackers on Sleepopolis, and the consensus seems to be that they’re okay, but not totally foolproof. As Dr. Kelly Baron of Rush University told me when I wrote this piece on sleep tracker effectiveness: “There’s no evidence that trackers right now can determine light vs. deep sleep, so basically it’s all a very rough estimate of what’s going on at night.”
What that means for Pokémon Sleep is anyone’s guess, but folks won’t have to wait too long to find out — the game is officially set to launch in 2020.
In addition to this new venture, the company also unveiled plans for a follow-up to Pokémon: Detective Pikachu for Nintendo Switch and a cloud-based service called Pokémon Home that seamlessly links your phone to Switch for optimized game play.