Old-school virtual pets Tamagotchis are making a comeback

Gen Z kids are reportedly reviving the egg-shaped devices that captured the attention of Millenials.

If you were a kid or a parent in the late 1990s, you may remember Tamagotchis, the virtual pets housed in egg-shaped devices that so many kids were obsessed with.

Created by Aki Maita and Akihiro Yokoi in Japan in 1996, they quickly became popular all over the world.

It appears that these little creatures are making a comeback, this time capturing the interest of Gen Z.

Bandai Namco, the company behind the Tamagotchi, tells the BBC that sales of the devices doubled from 2022 to 2023. Following the growing popularity, the company opened its first physical store in the UK.

While users can still buy the original Tamagotchis that feature 32x16 pixel black-and-white screen and three buttons for tasks like nurturing these pets and cleaning their poop, there are refreshed versions.

"Now you can connect with friends, you can play on WiFi and download different items, and that's really combating that sense of fatigue that you might have gotten with some earlier models," Tamagotchi brand manager Priya Jadeja told the BBC.

Bandai Namco has already tried to reinvent Tamagotchis several times, including last year’s launch of Tamagotchi Uni, a renewed version of the popular toy that can be worn on a wrist like a smartwatch.

Bandai Namco also owns Digimons, virtual characters that were initially created as a Tamagotchi version for boys, and other popular names, including Dragon Ball and Pac-Man.