We finally have an update on Pokémon Sleep, four years after it was first announced. At last, we may finally get some good Pokémon-themed rest.
Nintendo revealed our first look at Pokémon Sleep on Monday, sharing a teaser trailer as well as a video explaining how the game will work — though whether or not this app can actually be classified as a game is debatable.
Pokémon Sleep is basically a Pokémon-themed sleep tracker that somewhat gamifies getting a good night's rest. Players leave their phone beside them when they go to bed, allowing Pokémon Sleep to record and analyse their snooze overnight.
The app also lets you set an alarm, or play relaxing sounds to help you drift off.
It will then offer statistics such as how long you've been asleep and the time it took to fall asleep, as well as breaking down your sleep into three "sleep styles": Dozing, Snoozing, and Slumbering. Judging by screenshots of the app, these appear to be analogous with phases of sleep.
Pokémon that share the same sleep style as you will subsequently appear in the app, gathering around the giant sleeping Snorlax that is the focal point of the game's island setting. There are also "rare in-game sleep styles" that might show up, such as "Goofy Sleep" or "Droopy-Eared Sleep," with each species of Pokémon having various different sleep styles.
Guiding you along will be Professor Neroli, a new character introduced in Pokémon Sleep who is researching Pokémon's sleeping habits.
Though not required, Pokémon Sleep will also pair with Pokémon GO Plus+, a new wearable that was also initially announced in 2019 before being delayed. A follow up to the Pokémon GO Plus, this device will alert Pokémon GO players of nearby PokéStops, and also contains an accelerometer to track your sleeping.
It also has a Pikachu trapped inside it, who "grows friendlier the more sleep you get together" and can be made to sing you lullabies, just in case you wanted to fall asleep to a repetitive refrain of "pika pika Pikachu."
Pokémon Sleep isn't the first time Pokémon has flirted with health gadgets. In 1998, Nintendo released Pokémon Pikachu, a digital pet and pedometer that let players buy in-game items using currency earned by walking. This was followed by the Pokéwalker pedometer in 2009, which could connect to Pokémon HeartGold or SoulSilver to grant Pokémon experience based on the player's step count. And, of course, millions of people got moving when Pokémon GO was released in 2016.
Even so, Pokémon Sleep is the franchise's first venture into sleep tracking. I'm not sure if I would call this a game, per se, but at least it might encourage some kids to go to bed on time.
Originally scheduled for release in 2020, Pokémon Sleep will now launch in summer 2023.
