Just when you thought it had gone away – Pokemon Go is back in the news as the Apple Watch extension of the game has finally landed.
First announced back in September and promised before the end of the year, hope was beginning to fade for that time frame, but the companion app for the wearable has dropped, Pokemon confirmed on Thursday night.
The main function of the Apple Watch app is as a sidekick tracker to the Go app on your iPhone and to further emphasise the exercise bonus you can get from playing the game.
According to the company itself, the “core features” of the Watch app include logging each play session as a “workout”, which also sees your gameplay counting towards the Activity rings on your Watch.
That feature will come in handy to anyone who pays close attention to their daily targets.
“This holiday season, experience Pokémon GO and the world around you in a whole new way on Apple Watch,” Pokemon wrote in a blog post on the subject.
“It’s the perfect companion for bundled-up winter walks in the Northern Hemisphere and for fun summer activities in the Southern Hemisphere. And hey, what great timing—you can get a head start on that New Year’s fitness resolution by having some fun now!”
The Watch app also provides notifications to your wrist when Pokemon pop-up nearby, as well as alerts for when you approach PokeStops and when eggs hatch.
In short, much like the Watch in general, it’s designed to reduce the amount of times you feel the need to check your phone.