New Pokemon GO Update Improves Pokemon GO Plus
By Dalton Cooper 25 October 2016
Niantic releases a new update for Pokemon GO that improves the Pokemon GO Plus watch, making it possible for the device to focus exclusively on PokeStops or Pokemon.
Pokemon GO may not be as popular as it was this past summer, but even so, there’s still enough active players to make the Pokemon GO Plus accessory difficult to find in stores. Many Pokemon trainers are now sporting the new peripheral, with hopes that it will make their Pokemon GO adventures a little more convenient. However, even the most enthusiastic players will admit that there’s room for improvement when it comes to the Pokemon GO Plus peripheral, and Niantic has started making progress on that end with the game’s latest update.
In the latest update for Pokemon GO, players now have more options when they go out and about with their Plus device. They can now set the hardware so that it only focuses on collecting Pokeballs from PokeStops or ignores PokeStops in favor of catching Pokemon. It’s also possible to switch off buddy Pokemon notifications, and players can now engage in gym battles or try to catch Pokemon in the app itself without losing their connection to the device.
While many fans will consider this update a step in the right direction, there are still some issues that need to be ironed out when it comes to the Pokemon GO Plus. For example, if it were possible for the device to ignore specific Pokemon completely, fans wouldn’t waste Pokeballs catching every wild Rattata or Pidgey they come across on their travels.
As we pointed out in our Pokemon GO Plus review, there are still a lot of other ways that the device can improve to alleviate frustration. Even so, some Pokemon GO fans may not be interested in the Plus accessory at all, and would rather see Niantic focus on rolling out more substantial content updates for the game. It’s been months since Pokemon GO was first released to the masses, yet there’s still a number of missing features that were originally promised in the game’s announcement trailer.
Player-versus-player battling outside of gyms is still not possible at the time of this writing. Pokemon trading still isn’t available either, despite it being one of the most requested features. There’s also the matter of the 600+ other Pokemon that have yet to be added to Pokemon GO, but at this rate, fans shouldn’t expect to see any new Pokemon added to the mix any time soon.
After all, Niantic has yet to add all of the first generation Pokemon to the game. Players are still waiting to see legendary Pokemon and Ditto added to the mix, and there’s no telling when Niantic will get around to incorporating those Pokemon into Pokemon GO. With Pokemon GO losing millions of active players, it seems like Niantic should ramp up development on these big item features instead of focusing on updates for the Pokemon GO Plus watch if it wants to retain as many fans as possible, but the update will still be appreciated by those that own the device.
Pokemon GO is available now for iOS and Android devices.
Check out our Pokemon GO guides:
- How to Use the New Sightings Tool
- How to Win Battles
- How to Become a Gym Leader
- How to Get Pokecoins
- How to Catch Pikachu as a Starter
- How to Use and Hatch Eggs
- How to Catch Rare Pokemon
- How to Use Pokestops
- How to Control Eevee’s Evolution
- Trainer Rewards at Every Level
- How to Hold Gyms Longer
- Where to Find Specific Pokemon
- How to Trigger Pokemon Spawns
- Every Type’s Strengths and Weaknesses
- Catching Region Exclusive Pokemon
- Everything to Know About the Buddy System
- How to Equip a Buddy Pokemon
- How to Use Pokemon GO Plus
Source: Pokemon GO
