Tamagotchi fans of a certain age know the deka: a virtual pet blown up to toy-box size, same beeps, same poop-scooping, far too big for a pocket. Bandai is bringing the format home. On November 7, the company releases Tamagotchi Paradise - My Lab Tamagotchi, a big new "dekatama" for the living room priced at ¥9,900 (tax included), and the official Tamagotchi site is already calling it what it is: the first home-use deka since 2010.
That gap is the story. Home dekas have always been rare even inside this niche. The original Home Deka Tamagotchi shipped in July 2005, the Game King Playoff followed in October 2006, and the 2010 "Home de Tamagotchi Station+" was the last of the line until now. Bandai's own research-log announcement marks the moment with a happy-cry emoji and a note that the previous deka came out more than 15 years ago. For a community that has watched Bandai keep shrinking its pets, from ball chain to wristwatch to the 28 mm Tamagotchi Ring, swinging back to big is a genuine event.
What you actually do with My Lab is run a research operation. On its own the device offers more than 150 characters, more than 20 mini-games, and a tidy loop: gather food in Egg Hunt, head out on character searches where the food you carry and the field you explore change who you meet, then fill in the research record. Level up your researcher rank and you unlock more of the lab. There is even a docking simulation that lets you pick three characters from your encyclopedia and try combinations, in case a favorite pairing is still out there.
The connectivity is the point for Paradise owners. Earn Gotchi Points, buy crafting materials, and build original toys and decorations, then send them to your handheld. Transfer works with every model in the current line: Pink Land, Blue Water, Purple Sky, Jade Forest, Orange Tropics, White Glacier, and the Purple Sky Takeshita Paradise and Shinako special set. Think of My Lab as the kitchen-table workshop that feeds the pet in your pocket.
The rollout has been quick. Bandai first announced My Lab in Japan in mid-September, then gave Western fans their look at New York Comic Con's October 10 anniversary panel, where it was positioned as the long-awaited companion to Tamagotchi Paradise. The device runs on three AAA batteries (sold separately), is aimed at ages six and up, and measures in at roughly 94 by 115 mm, which makes the whole "deka" name feel earned next to the palm-sized Paradise handheld.
Japan gets it on November 7 at toy stores, electronics retailers, online shops, and the official Tamagotchi store. A release outside Japan has not been confirmed as of writing, though after NYCC that silence probably will not hold. The timing slots neatly into the anniversary crush: two weeks before Neon Planets lands on November 21 at ¥6,380, and just over two weeks before the big day itself, November 23, when the original Tamagotchi turns 30.
For everyone who grew up feeding a two-inch egg and privately wished it were big enough to hug, the deka was always the fantasy. After 16 years, it is back on shelves, at least in Japan. Stock up on AAA batteries and clear the coffee table; your research career starts Saturday.