Tamagotchi Uni is hardware. Belly is software. Uni is Bandai's 2023 Wi-Fi-connected reboot of the famous handheld: a color-screen, rechargeable, $59.99 device with a metaverse called the Tamaverse. Belly is a free Apple Watch pet that reads your steps from Apple Health and grows on the watch you already own. Both serve the same underlying wish, a small pet you check on through the day. The trade-off is whether you want a dedicated object or a screen you already wear.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Belly | Tamagotchi Uni |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, no subscription | $59.99 hardware + Tamaverse Tickets per themed world |
| What it is | Apple Watch app | Standalone handheld device (~6cm, USB-C, Wi-Fi) |
| Extra device to carry | No (lives on your watch) | Yes |
| Battery | Shares your Apple Watch charge | ~72hr per charge, 90min to full via USB-C |
| Connectivity | Apple Health + friend codes | Wi-Fi to the Tamaverse |
| Pet input | Steps tracked automatically | Manual button presses + Tamaverse events |
| Permadeath | No | Faithful Tamagotchi lifecycle, generations |
| Apple Watch complications | Rectangle, corner, and circle complications | Not applicable |
| Languages | 40 supported | Regional units, English primary in US edition |
| Updates | App Store updates | Firmware + Tamaverse seasonal events |
Belly: A Tamagotchi-Style Pet on the Watch You Already Wear
Belly takes the Tamagotchi idea, a small pet you tend to in glances through the day, and ports it to the device that is already on your wrist. There is no separate hardware. No new battery to charge. No second thing to remember when you leave the house.
The core loop reads steps from Apple Health automatically. Walking earns hearts that feed and dress your pet. Coins, also earned from walking, buy 80+ hand-drawn cosmetics, seasonal backgrounds, toys, food items, and watch complications in rectangle, corner, and circle shapes. The pet lives on your watch face, glanceable in the same wrist flick you already use to check the time.
Belly Strengths
- Free. No hardware purchase. No subscription. Cosmetic IAPs are optional and can also be earned by walking.
- No second device. Lives on the Apple Watch you already wear.
- Step-powered. Reads from Apple Health, no manual button presses.
- Watch complications in three shapes, your pet sits on your watch face.
- 40 languages. Genuinely useful outside the US.
- No permadeath. The 90s Tamagotchi loop without the cleanup grief.
- Social via six-digit friend codes, no account required.
Belly Limitations
- You need an Apple Watch. No iPhone, iPad, or Vision-only fallback.
- No Wi-Fi metaverse. Belly's social side is friend codes and step streaks, not themed shared worlds.
- Pet roster (cats and dogs) is narrower than Tamagotchi Uni's full Bandai character lineup.
- No collectible physical object. If holding the device matters to you, that's only Uni.
Tamagotchi Uni: Bandai's 2023 Wi-Fi Handheld
Tamagotchi Uni shipped worldwide on July 15, 2023 at US$59.99 and is the most ambitious Tamagotchi hardware to date. The device is rechargeable over USB-C (the old button-cell era is over), has a color screen, and connects to Wi-Fi for access to the Tamaverse, a small metaverse where your character can put on a VR headset and visit themed worlds.
The Tamaverse is the headline feature: Tama Arena, Tama Party, Tama Fashion, Tama Travel. Tamaverse Tickets purchased through the Tamaverse Ticket Shop give access to themed worlds (Angel Festival, Monster Carnival, and seasonal events). Players from around the world meet in these spaces. Recent 2026 events include flower-viewing and other seasonal themed worlds, so the device is still being supported by Bandai.
Battery life is roughly 72 hours from full charge with about an hour of daily play and sensors on, and a full charge takes about 90 minutes. Available colors include Purple, Blue, Pink, Prism White, and various special editions. It is, in physical form and conceptual ambition, a serious successor to the 1996 original.
Tamagotchi Uni Strengths
- Genuine Bandai Tamagotchi product. Official lineage, complete character roster, faithful lifecycle and breeding mechanics.
- The Tamaverse. Wi-Fi-connected metaverse with shared themed worlds, seasonal events, and global meetups.
- Tactile collectible. Physical handheld, beautiful case designs, the chain and clip if you want them.
- USB-C rechargeable. No more hunting for button cells.
- Generations and breeding. The classic Tamagotchi lifecycle with marriage and offspring.
- Color screen + character animations. Far richer than the 1996 unit.
Tamagotchi Uni Limitations
- $59.99 upfront. Plus Tamaverse Tickets if you want event access.
- Another device to charge and carry. Adds to the pocket inventory alongside phone and watch.
- ~72hr battery means it joins your charging routine, easy to forget.
- No step integration. Care is button presses, not your daily walking.
- Discoverability outside Japan can be uneven, regional editions and availability vary.
- Easy to lose. Small device, clip-on form factor, the classic Tamagotchi problem.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Belly if you want:
- A pet on your Apple Watch with no second device to buy or charge
- A walking-driven loop with steps doing the work, not button-pressing
- Zero hardware cost and no subscription
- Watch complications and proper Apple Watch integration
- Your pet game in a non-English language (40 supported)
- The Tamagotchi feeling without the permadeath cleanup
Choose Tamagotchi Uni if you want:
- The official Bandai product with the full Tamagotchi character roster
- The Tamaverse: Wi-Fi-connected themed worlds and global events
- A physical handheld you can hold, clip, and collect
- Faithful generations, breeding, and Tamagotchi lifecycle mechanics
- To accept the $59.99 hardware spend and the extra-device-to-charge tax
Both can coexist:
Plenty of Tamagotchi fans keep a Uni on their bag clip and wear Belly on their watch. Uni for the deliberate, opt-in handheld session. Belly for the daily wrist-glance that runs in the background of your walking. Different roles, same lineage. If you want a comparison against the classic 1996 unit instead of Uni, see our Belly vs Tamagotchi article.