As Nintendo and Niantic continue to drip feed new features to maintain the popularity of Pokémon GO, the game’s creators have announced that its new wearable device will be released next week.

Plans for an Apple Watch adaptation for the game has also been revealed.

Pokémon GO, which has now been downloaded more than 500 million times since its release in July with players walking a combined 4.6bn km (2.85bn m), will launch its Pokémon Go Plus device on 16 September – a piece of tech worn on the wrist that lets you play the game without using your smartphone.

Connected via Bluetooth, the companion device still needs to be within proximity of the phone, but will allow players to collect resources from Pokéstops and catch Pokémon on the go. When players come into range of a Pokémon or Pokéstop, the device will vibrate and light up, alerting them to press a button to use the stop or catch the Pokémon.

“We’ve been testing Pokémon GO Plus here at Niantic and we love the way it allows you to blend Pokémon GO even more seamlessly into family and fitness activities,” said a Niantic statement. “Now you’ll be able to play and enjoy your walk, run, hike, park trips or visits to the library without having to look at your screen all the time.”

With many couch potatoes swapping the sofa for the streets in their effort to ‘catch ‘em all’, Pokémon GO has been hailed for the health benefits it is providing to its users, with Apple Watch plans taking those health benefits one step further.

Blending gameplay with exercise and real-world exploration by using easy trackers, haptic notifications and quick taps to keep playing, the Apple Watch version of Pokémon GO has also been announced, with the adaptation closer linked to fitness, encouraging workouts with summaries of activity.

When released, the Apple Watch version will align closer with the growing trend towards gamification across the fitness sector, particularly through apps such as Zombies, Run!.