After a long wait, Pokémon Sleep will finally become a reality this summer. The game will combine sleep tracking with the enduringly popular collect-a-thon game series. And, while the smash-hit mobile game Pokémon Go promotes outdoor exercise, Pokémon Sleep will reward users for getting a full night of shut-eye.
The game, for iPhone and Android devices, is being developed by Japanese game studio Select Button in partnership with Niantic, the developer of Pokémon Go.
Pokémon Sleep is finally (almost) here
Pokémon Sleep was originally announced in May 2019. More than three and a half years later, The Pokémon Company gave fans a long-awaited update during Monday’s Pokémon Presents event. The game will finally arrive this summer.
Takato Utsunomiya, chief operating officer of The Pokémon Company, acknowledged the delay in his presentation.
“We know we’ve kept you all waiting,” Utsunomiya said, “but at last, we can bring Pokémon Sleep to you later this year.”
Sleep with your phone to research Pokémon
Image: The Pokémon Company
According to the original press release, “Pokémon Sleep aims to turn sleeping into entertainment by having a player’s time spent sleeping, and the time they wake up, [affect] the gameplay.”
The company showed off some Pokémon Sleep gameplay mechanics during Monday’s event. Players will set their bedtime and wake-up time in the app, leaving their phone by their pillow. The app will “measure, record and analyze” player’s sleep patterns, categorizing the night into periods of “dozing, snoozing or slumbering,” as stated in the presentation.
Image: The Pokémon Company
When players wake up, they will discover a small crowd of various Pokémon sleeping alongside Snorlax, another representation of your night of rest. Different Pokémon sleep in different ways — and it’s up to you to discover them all by sleeping a lot.
Image: The Pokémon Company
Upgrade the experience with the Pokémon Go Plus +
Image: The Pokémon Company
Players can get more out of Pokémon Sleep with an optional gadget. The Pokémon Go Plus + — and, yes, that is actually the product name the company is going with — is a small disc about the size of an AirTag. The low-energy Bluetooth accessory can be paired with a smartphone to unlock additional features in both Pokémon Sleep and Pokémon Go.
When placed on the bed, players will be able to research additional sleep styles. Recording when you’re going to bed and when you’ve woken up is as easy as holding down the device’s only button. Pikachu can be heard to let you know if you’re staying up too late or sleeping in.
When you’re playing Pokémon Go, the device will glow when nearby Pokémon are detected. Pressing the button will try to catch them automatically. Previous accessories would only use the player’s stock of standard Poké Balls, which are the least likely to catch the creatures, whereas the Go Plus + can be set to throw Great Balls or Ultra Balls for higher odds.
The device will become available on July 14. The company did not release any pricing info.
