Why You Can Trust CNET Nintendo's $50 Poke Ball Plus: The ultimate gamepad for Pokemon Let's Go and Pokemon Go
Why yes, that IS a joystick in the center of the Poke Ball.
The Poke Ball Plus.
Pokemon players often share a very simple dream. They want to throw the game's iconic Poke Ball to catch the cutesy video game creatures, instead of just pressing a button. That's what Nintendo's new Poke Ball Plus is all about.
It's a fully functional Bluetooth game controller, complete with joystick and buttons, designed to pair with the upcoming Pokemon Let's Go game for the Nintendo Switch . You can "throw" the Poke Ball when it's time to catch Pokemon -- and when you do, you'll hear and feel the Pokemon inside thanks to a built-in speaker, vibrating motors and flashing lights.
Also: It comes with a free legendary Pokemon to start: Mew.
Plus, it'll work as a hands-free way to play the Pokemon Go mobile game, too, because it doubles as a Pokemon Go Plus. (If you're still having a hard time finding that little gadget, this one does the same stuff.)
Today, we're finding out how much fulfilling that Poke Ball dream will cost: $50, £50 or AU$70 for the peripheral by its lonesome, or $100 (likely £100 or AU$130) bundled with a copy of Pokemon Let's Go. Preorders are already open, and it'll ship Nov. 16.
Nintendo says it takes around 3 hours to charge with a USB-C cable, though it hasn't shared battery life yet.
We'll be looking to take it for a spin at this week's E3 game show.
Correction, June 14 at 9:16 a.m. PT: I misread. 3 hours is how long it takes to charge, not the estimated battery life. Nintendo says it hasn't revealed battery life yet.
E3 2018: Everything you need to know
E3 2018 coverage at CNET: All of our E3 2018 coverage in one place.
E3 2018 coverage at GameSpot: Wall-to-wall coverage of the show from our sister site, GameSpot.
E3 2018 coverage at Giant Bomb: Still more commentary and news from E3, from our colleagues at Giant Bomb.