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We thought we saw it all when this smartphone case designed to improve your throwing motion in Pokemon GO was made, but the latest device to hit Kickstarter takes the cake. A small company by the name of GamerReality LLC has created what they’re calling the “Official Trainer Ball.” While the product can’t be considered “official” quite yet, the company claims they are in talks with Niantic and Nintendo and strongly believe they can secure an official product license by the time the device is ready for shipping.
Anyway, this thing is pretty cool — it’s shaped and looks like a real Pokeball, but it’s not all for show. The device uses a combination of Bluetooth connectivity, data from an accelerometer, and the phone’s camera to be able to detect a throw.
Once detected in the real world, the companion app will translate the action to automatically throwing the Pokeball in the game, which seems to result in a catch. And if you don’t want to actual throw it for fear of damage (the team says it’s tough enough to be tossed at the ground) you can just do a gesture all the same.
Beyond that purpose, the device also doubles as a portable battery pack, with it holding enough juice (an unspecified amount) to charge a typical smartphone 2-3 times. If you want one, they’re going for as little as $35 on special early bird pricing, but if you can’t pledge in time then its full retail cost is just $20 more.
Shipments are expected to be out of the door by December 2016 for the earliest backers, with the majority of people being held to February 2017 expectations. Whether those dates actually hold up in the volatile and unpredictable world of Kickstarter is obviously yet to be determined, but if you don’t mind taking the chance then head here to contribute to the project’s goal.
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