Update: Pokemon GO is now available in the US
Pokémon GO, the augmented reality mobile game from Nintendo and developer Niantic Labs, is out now for both iOS and Android in select countries.
The new mobile game is free-to-play however it does contain microtransactions. As far as we can tell, Pokemon GO has now also been released in the U.S.
The app’s Google Play Store listing is available here, and here’s the Apple iOS version.
Australian and New Zealand users are able to get in and start straight away for both Android and iOS, However, it appears to be unavailable for some US users at this time.
For some users it isn’t showing up in search, it appears that Pokemon GO will need to push its competitors out of the way for those keywords. I’m sure there are plenty of dud apps that have been optimising around the words Pokemon GO since the initial announcement.
For those who haven’t been following the title’s development, the game uses your smartphone’s camera and sensors, as well as location-based algorithms, to place pokémon in the real world. That way, as you travel around to landmarks and notable locations in your city, you can catch the creatures and then train and battle them at gyms.
The game was created by Niantic, the maker of a similar AR mobile game called Ingress, in collaboration with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. Many of the locations that become Pokemon Gyms or PokeStops are taken from the data in Ingress.
Later this month, you can also purchase a $35 wrist-worn wearable, the device lets you play the game without having to unlock your phone. Make sure you keep an eye on your battery levels when playing.
Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have kept quiet about Go‘s release date for quite some time, and representatives from the two companies only dropped cryptic hints during an E3 livestream last month indicating the game would be released some time in July.
Even as the public beta testing period ended on July 30th, Nintendo didn’t agree to an official launch day.
Are you playing Pokemon GO? Which starter will you choose: Charmander, Bulbasaur or Squirtle?
