Niantic has announced a new feature for mobile game Pokémon Go that will connect the app to fitness trackers and apps like Google Fit, iOS HealthKit, Samsung Health and others, enabling the game to track your steps taken and distance travelled even when the application isn’t running. The update, called ‘Adventure Sync’, means that players will be able to progress tasks within the game that are based on physical activity with a reduced drain on their battery.

“Niantic’s commitment to activity and exploration is a theme that we’ve touched on countless times over the past eight years, and as our technological capabilities continue to grow, we strive to think critically about how our players can get more from discovering the world around them,” said John Hanke, CEO of Niantic. “Adventure Sync will give trainers the option to apply their activity and movement during their morning commutes, strolls about town on lunch or evening jogs back to Pokémon Go for some big rewards.”

The new gameplay system will sync in the background with iOS HealthKit and Android Google Fit, as well as any apps that work in conjunction with them. Players will be able to access a weekly summary that includes their distance travelled on foot, steps counted, calories burned and other fitness metrics, while new features will be introduced to the game like weekly milestones for walking.

According to Niantic, Pokémon Go players have already walked 53 per cent more in 2018 than they did in 2017, and a recent survey of 2,000 players from around the world found that 70 per cent felt that playing Pokémon Go motivated them to walk more on average. 64 per cent said the game motivated them to go outdoors, while 47 per cent felt their physical activity level had increased since playing.