Believe it or not, 2021 marks the 25th anniversary of the release of the first Tamagotchi. So it seems it was only a matter of time before the iconic toy became a better reflection of modern technology. Enter the Clever, an upcoming Tamagotchi that adopts a smartwatch-like form factor.
New to this model is the inclusion of touch and voice commands. As you might have guessed, the former allows you to wake up your pet and stroke it. But when it comes to voice commands, don’t expect voice recognition. A Japanese FAQ spotted by Contribution says you can use the feature to wake your pet up, and it doesn’t actually recognize specific commands. Since Bandai designed the Tamagotchi Smart with kids in mind, it’s probably for the best.
Each Tamagotchi Smart also comes with new characters to heal and watch out for. Bandai will also sell separate “TamaSma” cards that will allow Smart owners to load exclusive characters and items onto their cellphones. Yeah for the physical DLC.
Bandai Namco
Naturally, the functionality of previous Tamagotchi devices like the Pix go back. The Smart also doubles as a digital clock and pedometer. Judging by the output of the Bandai YouTube video, it may also be possible to listen to music on the device. Naturally, all of these features come in the iconic egg shape of old Tamagotchi devices,
The Tamagotchi Smart will go on sale in Japan in November for around $ 60. No word yet on an international release.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through any of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
