- Pokémon Sleep has made $120 million gross in 14 months
- iOS and Android can now pair Pokémon Sleep to smartwatches
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Pokémon Sleep has surpassed $120 million in gross revenue 14 months after launch, achieved just in time for the rollout of a major smartwatch compatibility update.
Users on iOS and Android can now pair Pokémon Sleep to their smartwatches, tracking their sleep in-game without having to leave the app open and running through the night.
Compatibility has been added with Apple Watch, Galaxy Watch, Fitbit and Google Pixel Watch.
“Seamless nighttime routine”
Until now, Pokémon Sleep players have had two means of tracking their sleep for in-game rewards – either leaving the game running on their bed or pairing it with the $55 Pokémon Go Plus + device.
The extension to smartwatches broadens accessibility options, saving players from buying this premium Pokémon product while also saving on phone battery.
There are also new achievements to be unlocked by registering sleep data from a smartwatch, indicating that this change isn’t just offering a new option, but is actually encouraged.
Players who have already paired Sleep with the Pokémon Go Plus + can now use either device.
Sleep data that has been manually modified on a smartwatch may not be eligible to register in Pokémon Sleep, however, and sleep registered prior to linking devices cannot be transferred. iOS players should also be aware that the Apple Watch only tracks periods of sleep that last for four hours or more.
“You can now measure your sleep in #PokemonSleep with a #smartwatch! We hope you’ll have a more seamless nighttime routine with your Pokémon,” the official Pokémon Sleep account posted on Twitter.
Dreamlike spending
After sleepwalking its way to $100 million one week ahead of its first anniversary, this latest ‘Blue Ocean’ Pokémon project has made another $20 million in the two months since with 74% of revenue now coming from Japan.
That’s a small market share increase of 1% since July and brings total Japanese spending to $88.4 million, based on AppMagic data.
The US market remains in second place at 13% of global in-game spending, having fallen by 2% since the anniversary, meanwhile Taiwan remains in third at a stable 4%.
In-game events like Raikou Research and Entei Research have come with their own revenue booms and now the game has kickstarted Sleep Style Discovery Week coinciding with the smartwatch compatibility update.
This event gives players an opportunity to register more entries in their Sleep Style Dex, encouraging engagement as it will be easier to find as-yet unregistered Pokémon poses until September 30th.
Of course, this in turn creates more opportunities for microtransactions – more micro than the $1,800 hotel experience.
