The My Play Watch teased earlier this month, but we now know more about what its developers say it can and can't do. Its design seems to be inspired by, or taken directly from, the Apple Watch, but with a 1.86-inch touchscreen display and a body that's not as thin as the Series 10 and not as thick as the Ultra 2. It comes with two watch straps to match its retro gaming aesthetic, and it's compatible with standard 22mm straps.
The watch has different dials with pixelated fonts and graphics, all on the theme Space Invadersauthentic sounds from the original arcade machine and even health tracking features like a heart rate monitor, pedometer and an estimate of calories burned throughout the day. The real reason to strap the My Play Watch to your wrist is a custom version of Space Invaders which can be played via the touchscreen or the crown of the watch.
But the My Play Watch is unlikely to offer much competition to the Apple Watch or Pixel Watch. Its developers boast that it doesn't connect to a smartphone at all. It doesn't notify you of messages, emails or phone calls, you can't use it to ping a misplaced smartphone, and any health data it collects is only available on the wearable.
There is no shortage of Space Invaders Games for various mobile devices, including WatchOS. The My Play Watch relies heavily on nostalgia as its main selling point and as a way to convince retro gaming fans to take a chance on its Kickstarter, as the watch is still in development and has not yet entered production.
For the first 48 hours of the crowdfunding campaign, a yellow or red version of the Space Invaders: My Play Watch can be pre-ordered for a $60 contribution, after which the price will rise to the same as the blue version, at $75. The developers say they expect to ship the watch as early as December, but that sounds optimistic, as they admit that development of the watch's custom operating system is still underway, just months before expected shipping.
Many Kickstarter projects have been plagued by unexpected delays as products move from the development phase to production, especially those involving electronics. Some were delayed for months, while others never materialized at all, leaving backers with nothing to show for their pledges. This could be a project to keep an eye on until it actually ships.