The latest entry in the fan favorite franchise Pokémon saw release earlier this month alongside a particularly interesting controller. Known as the Poké Ball Plus, this controller is able to control Pokémon games that are available on completely separate platforms, as well as transfer data between them. It rumbles, It talks, it lights up, it’s wireless, and [Spawn] uploaded a video that reveals what’s really inside.
The entire controller is only around two inches (50mm) in diameter and weighs roughly 2.3 ounces (65g) yet packs quite a bit of tech into such a small form factor. It connects to iOS, Android, and Nintendo Switch devices via a Cypress CYW20734 Bluetooth transceiver and contains a bit of flash memory to allow for transferring Pokémon data from the Pokémon Go mobile game to the recent Nintendo Switch releases. Powering everything is a proprietary 220 mAh Li-ion battery that, according to Nintendo, lasts around three hours. It features a USB-C port for charging, though no confirmation of fast charging capabilities was provided.
The analog stick on the face of the Poké Ball Plus is an actual analog stick akin to what was used on the PlayStation Vita handheld. Interestingly the stick is clickable and acts as a button for menu selection in Pokémon Go mobile game and Pokémon: Let’s Go Nintendo Switch variants. Longtime fans will remember the Pocket Pikachu digital pet from the late 90s that could communicate with Pokémon Gold/Silver on the Game Boy Color via the handheld’s IR port. Further proof that there may be no new ideas left.
In addition to the Bluetooth transceiver there’s an accelerometer, mono speaker, and surface mount RGB LED that all react in concert to in-game events. All of which seem like the perfect hack setup to apply into a plethora of other applications. Though what ever that ends up being, it better “be the very best”.
via [PokemonGoHub]
Source:: Hackaday