Augmented-reality Pokemon app, Pokemon GO, launches in select regions around the world, but some players report issues such as the fact that it kills mobile battery life.
The Internet was abuzz with excitement earlier today when it was revealed that Nintendo and Niantic’s augmented-reality Pokemon app, Pokemon GO, is now available in select regions. GO allows wannabe Pokemon trainers to catch the creatures out in the real world, whether that be at the park or as they’re walking down the street and in fact, the app is expected to become so popular that one Australian police station has listed some tips for Pokemon GO players in order to keep them safe.
However, despite the huge amount of interest surrounding the app, the soft launch hasn’t exactly gone smoothly with those lucky enough to get their hands (or rather, their thumbs) on Pokemon GO have already begun to complain about a variety of issues. Arguably the most troublesome issue players are having is that the app massively drains mobile battery life, with one player complaining that their smartphone dropped 10% of battery life in 20 minutes, even with the charger connected.
Thankfully, the battery drain problem is a known issue, with developer Niantic saying that it is already working on a solution. Niantic is also working on a fix for the distorted audio issue that makes music and sounds seem distorted or delayed.
Moreover, Niantic has outlined some solutions for the following Pokemon GO problems:
- Trainer progress temporarily being set to level 1: Niantic says that “You may have inadvertently created two Pokemon Go accounts: one account using Google and one using Pokemon Trainer Club” and recommends that players “log out of your account via the Settings menu and then log back in with your original login method.”
- “You already own this item error message”: Niantic says that this error may occur when players have lost their Internet connection while trying to purchase PokeCoins and recommends powering off and restarting the device to resolve the issue.
- ‘Jittery’ or drifting location: To fix this, Niantic says that players should “ensure location/GPS enabled and set to high-accuracy mode,” though the developer also adds that it is “constantly working to improve GPS accuracy and stability.”
- “This item is not available in your country" error message: While attempting to download the app, some players may see this error message and Niantic advises that downloaders “check your Google Wallet settings to ensure your address is based in the proper country” or contact the Google Play support team via the Help Center.
With Pokemon GO featuring microtransactions, it is obviously in Niantic’s best interest to address these issues sooner rather than later, lest players decide the app isn’t worth spending money on and it’s positive to see the developer being somewhat proactive with its solutions. Moreover, the sooner Niantic rolls out fixes for these problems, the sooner Poke-fans all over the world can become Pokemon GO gym leaders and make their creature-catching fantasies come true.
Pokemon GO is available now in select regions for mobile devices.