Against all odds, Pokémon Sleep is real and is coming out this summer
Not to be a Debby Doubter, but we don’t think you’d have found many people expecting Pokémon Sleep, first announced all the way back in May 2019 and barely even mentioned in hushed tones by The Pokémon Company ever since, to ever actually happen. And yet, probably the most shocking reveal of all in today’s Pokémon Presents was that Pokémon Sleep is not only alive and well but will be available for download this Summer.
Unlike most games, Pokémon Sleep isn’t even really ‘played’. Instead, by using the accelerometer in either your phone or a new Pokémon Go Plus+ accessory, the app will track your night’s sleep in much the same way as any other fitness tracker, but with the added bonus of being able to collect Pokémon while you do so.
As the app measures your sleep activity, it will be categorised into one of three types: Dozing, Snoozing and Slumbering. The type of activity will determine the kind of Pokémon you’ll find when you wake up, with Pokémon exhibiting even more unique types of sleep for you to collect.
Connectivity with Pokémon Go will begin with the shared use of a new Pokémon Go Plus+ accessory, which will function as an advanced Pokémon Go Plus, as well as being used to track your sleep in Pokémon Sleep by resting it on the bed with you. Without the Go Plus+, you’ll still able to track your sleep by resting your phone on your bed instead. Other connectivity with Pokémon Go will also be announced at a later date.
Another trick the Go Plus+ has is that it ‘contains’ a Pikachu within, who you can interact with by shaking the accessory or pressing the large button at its centre. One of the advertised, though slightly un-nerving, features is that the Pikachu can sing you a lullaby. It kinda seems like they’ve missed an obvious trick there of the Pokémon actually being Jigglypuff, but oh well.
The app will be available this summer for both Android and iOS. The Go Plus+ will be available in the US from the 14th July and Europe from the 21st July, which probably gives a fair expectation of the app’s rough release date also.