We know: you bugged your significant other to get you the sold-out-everywhere, app-controlled Sphero BB-8 for Christmas. We did too. You bought the Target radio-controlled one for those times when you don’t want to have to load an app on your phone. And you figured that was pretty much it short of buying an actual prop replica, right?
Wrong. There’s a new remote-controlled one coming from Spin Master, and it’s bigger than both of those, and you can talk to it. According to Gizmodo, it’ll even follow you around:
When you talk to BB-8 it will automatically turn its head to follow your voice, which is a fun interactive element. It will also respond when you say its name, and is smart enough to track your position and roll over to you when you call it, which is just one of several voice commands this BB-8 understands. It even has a Follow Me mode which makes BB-8 automatically roll beside you like a loyal puppy.
Available in the fall, it ought to land just in time to be yet another must-have Christmas gift, and while it does cost $180, you’d pay more than that for the Hot Toys action figure version that comes with Rey. And this one is 16 inches tall, which is only 10 inches shy of the actual BB-8, whose height is officially listed at 26 inches.
Unfortunately, for legal and safety reasons, no toy company is ever going to make a fully movie-accurate BB-8 that can give you a “thumbs up” with a butane lighter (though we expect a few inevitable YouTube custom tutorials by crazy people). In the meantime, one that comes when you call is likely to make your dog very, very jealous. And allergic kids who can’t have dogs very, very happy.
Must you add this li’l guy to your BB collection? Let us know below!
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image: Spin Master via Gizmodo Toyland
