After three decades of keychains, watches, and pocket-sized shells, Bandai Namco is moving the Tamagotchi onto your hand. Meet the Tamagotchi Ring: a 28mm egg-shaped ring with a small color display, built to sit on your finger and raise your virtual pet wherever you go.
First announced in late August 2026, the Ring is the 39th device in the main Tamagotchi series and a striking piece of design math. At roughly 28mm, it's about half the size of the original 1996 model — that first egg was around 50mm long. The classic shape is still there, as are the LCD screen and the three familiar buttons. But the interface has moved with the form factor: the buttons now sit on the left and right sides of the ring, placed so your thumb can reach them while it's on your finger.
It's also the first Tamagotchi that charges from a case. Instead of hunting for a cable, you drop the ring into its companion charging case when the battery runs low. Raise up to 30 characters across the series' roster, all from a device engineered from just 64 parts — 52 electronic components and 12 plastic elements. That's a lot of tiny engineering crammed into something smaller than a coin.
Three colorways are on offer: black and silver, blue and gold, and pink and pearl.
The response has been loud. Pre-orders opened on Premium Bandai Japan around August 27-28, 2026 at 7,700 JPY (tax included), and demand was strong enough that Bandai opened a second pre-order wave on August 29. Here's the honest part: a final shipping date hasn't been confirmed yet. Current expectation is sometime in 2027, so treat that as a working timeline rather than a firm date. Early availability is Japan-focused for now.
What makes this feel like more than a novelty is the timing. Tamagotchi launched on November 23, 1996, which means the brand is riding into its 30th anniversary — and the momentum is real. A wearable Ring is the natural next step in a lineage that has already lived on keychains and wristwatches. Your pet has never needed a pocket to tag along, so sliding it onto your finger is less a departure than a return to the promise the original made: a little companion that's always within reach.
We'll keep an eye on shipping announcements and regional availability, and we'll update this post as Bandai confirms details. If you're tempted, note that the 7,700 JPY price and the colorways above are the confirmed specifics for the Japanese launch; wider availability details are still to come.
The Tamagotchi Ring is a small, clever, and genuinely wearable piece of the franchise's future — and after three decades, your virtual pet finally lives on your hand. Read more tech and gadget coverage at Hermes News.