"Pokémon Go" players now have the perfect excuse to buy the Apple Watch as developer Niantic Labs announced they're bringing the hottest game of the year to the much maligned Apple device.
In a report by The Verge, the announcement was made at Apple's launch of its newest flagship device, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7Plus. "Pokémon Go" game maker Niantic Labs said the Apple Watch will be able to tell players when a Pokémon or a Pokestop is around even without their smartphones.
Also, even the distance that they need to cover to be able to hatch an egg is also relayed as well. The app will also be able to display the needed XP or experience points to level up and fitness information about players.
Meanwhile, according to Time, the Apple Watch fits perfectly with "Pokémon Go" as the game's core design is hinged on players' physical movement since the app tasks them to walk and explore in order to hunt virtual creatures in the real world.
OMG POKEMON GO ON APPLE WATCH SOMEONE HOLD ME PLZ #AppleEvent pic.twitter.com/YvH3jryvVJ
— Justine Ezarik (@ijustine) September 7, 2016
Before the announcement, existing health apps on the iPhone had no way of integrating with the game which bummed many players who wanted to measure the calories they are able to burn playing "Pokémon Go" but cannot due to the incompatibility.
Time also reported that the Apple Watch version of "Pokémon Go" will allow players to log in their playing time as a workout session and be able to monitor the calories they use up in a day. The move coincides with Apple's intensified focus on health as one of its major platforms in app development.
The integration with the Apple Watch is also expected to reduce accidents that involve "Pokémon Go" players. Without the need to constantly keep their eyes on smartphones, players can now roam around safer as the app also lets them get in-game gear in PokeStops.
