Pokémon Go has been downloaded more than 500 million times to date on smartphones. And now, it’s coming to the Apple Watch.
CEO John Hanke of Niantic Labs, the creator of the wildly successful game, announced the numbers and the Apple Watch on stage at Apple’s event today.
“I hope you’ve had a chance to try Pokémon Go,” Hanke said. “A lot of other people have.”
He said that Pokémon Go trainers have walked 4.6 billion kilometers while playing the game.
“Pokémon Go is about exploration, and having fun with your family and friends,” Hanke said.
But many people just stare at their screens while playing. That’s why Nintendo created the Pokémon Go Plus device, which lets you capture Pokémon without using your phone. Now, the Pokémon Go game will ship on the Apple Watch before the end of the year. As you walk, the watch shows you notifications when you are near creatures, Pokestops, or gyms. The watch shows you how far you have to walk to hatch an egg.
