'Pokémon GO' App Will Let Players Search the Real World for Pokémon - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

'Pokémon GO' App Will Let Players Search the Real World for Pokémon

by

The Pokémon Company today announced a new app called Pokémon GO coming to iOS and Android, that will allow fans of the series to search real world locations to collect, battle, and trade Pokémon (via IGN). The company noted that the app itself will be free when it comes out, but gave no more specifics besides saying it'll be available for download sometime in 2016.

pokemon band go
Users will also be able to buy an optional Bluetooth accessory that syncs with the game, called the Pokémon GO Plus. The wrist-worn device will alert players in real-time to events going on in the game nearby -- like the appearance of a new wild Pokémon, or other players battling -- with flashing lights and vibrating alerts.


The Pokémon Company also announced that they've partnered with Niantic to help fine-tune the augmented reality aspect of the new game. Niantic already has some experience in the field, with the global espionage and mystery AR game Ingress [Direct Link] under its belt and some of its founders having originated from the Google Earth team. Although not officially one of Nintendo's mobile titles (The Pokémon Company operates independently of Nintendo), as our sister site Touch Arcade points out, it could be an interesting glimpse into what Nintendo itself will do with its own mobile games.

Tag: Pokemon

Top Rated Comments

Oblivious.Robot Avatar
144 months ago
Can't wait to catch a magikarp at Wal-Mart!

Attachment Image
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArtOfWarfare Avatar
144 months ago
I'm expecting the game experience to be exactly like the video, otherwise FAIL!

They're not wearing any Glass/Occulus device so I presume they've solved how to create effective holograms.
Actually, they're using Microsoft's Hololens. The Hololens is capable of augmenting the reality of people wearing Hololens to make them look like they're not wearing Hololens.

So long as everyone is wearing hololens, it doesn't actually matter what hololens look like because nobody will ever be able to see them.

In fact, we might all already be wearing hololens already and just can't tell.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
144 months ago
Imm
The Pokémon Company today announced a new app called Pokémon GO coming to iOS and Android, that will allow fans of the series to search real world locations to collect, battle, and trade Pokémon (via IGN ('http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/09/10/pokemon-go-coming-to-smartphones?utm_campaign=ign+main+twitter&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social')). The company noted that the app itself will be free when it comes out, but gave no more specifics besides saying it'll be available for download sometime in 2016.

pokemon go app real world image

Users will also be able to buy an optional Bluetooth accessory that syncs with the game, called the Pokémon GO Plus. The wrist-worn device will alert players in real-time to events going on in the game nearby -- like the appearance of a new wild Pokémon, or other players battling -- with flashing lights and vibrating alerts.



The Pokémon Company also announced that they've partnered with Niantic to help fine-tune the augmented reality aspect of the new game. Niantic already has some experience in the field, with the global espionage and mystery AR game Ingress ('http://appshopper.com/games/ingress') [Direct Link ('https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ingress/id576505181?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4')] under its belt and some of its founders having originated from the Google Earth team. Although not officially one of Nintendo's mobile titles ('https://www.macrumors.com/2015/05/08/nintendos-smartphone-game-this-year/') (The Pokémon Company operates independently of Nintendo), as our sister site Touch Arcade points out ('http://toucharcade.com/2015/09/10/pokemon-go-for-mobile/'), it could be an interesting glimpse into what Nintendo itself will do with its own mobile games.

Article Link: 'Pokémon GO' App Will Let Players Search the Real World for Pokémon ('https://www.macrumors.com/2015/09/10/pokemon-go-app-real-world/')
I'm pretty sure I saw something like this in googles April fools day .. Can't believe Nintendo turned it into reality!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
keysofanxiety Avatar
144 months ago


Can't wait to catch a magikarp at Wal-Mart!
The only thing less effective than Magikarp's Splash attack is a new BlackBerry product. :D
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adcx64 Avatar
144 months ago
This has potential to be something really amazing, but will probably be full of micro transactions like everything else in the App Store.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Pakaku Avatar
144 months ago
The only thing less effective than Magikarp's Splash attack is a new BlackBerry product. :D
Maybe Blackberry can pull off a move and evolve into a Gyrados of a company someday.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

cook ternus pikachu

Pikachu Visits Apple Park, Meets Tim Cook and John Ternus

Thursday August 27, 2026 3:10 pm PDT by
Tim Cook shared an inside look at the work he is doing behind the scenes as he prepares to step down as Apple's CEO next week. Cook has been preparing incoming CEO John Ternus for the transition over the last several months, and today he introduced Ternus to popular Pokémon character Pikachu. Cook said he and Ternus met with the Pokémon team to talk gaming. The accompanying video features...
iOS 27 Next to iPhone

Here's When iOS 27 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone [Update: It's Out]

Sunday September 13, 2026 3:00 am PDT by
Update 10:04 a.m.: iOS 27 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking! Apple is about to release iOS 27, which will finally deliver more advanced Siri AI capabilities as well as a variety of other refinements, improvements, and new features to iPhones. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at Wednesday's iPhone event...
iOS 27 Icon iPhone

iOS 27 Available Today With These 8 New Features

Monday September 14, 2026 9:00 am PDT by
Update: Apple has released iOS 27. During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released widely on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 should be available around 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time today via the Settings app, under General → Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight new features and changes coming with iOS...

🔗 Related Apple News & Rumors

Stay updated with the latest Apple ecosystem news and verified rumors