Pokémon Go launches in Germany as hit smartphone game reaches Europe

Developer Niantic rolls out improved version of app to first non-English language country, as rest of Europe waits with bated breath

Smash-hit augmented reality game Pokémon Go has launched in Germany, making its first move into Europe and outside of the US, Australia and New Zealand.

The app is now available to download for users in Germany via Google Play and Apple App Store, but it is still not officially available to users in the UK and the rest of Europe.

Developer Niantic released an updated version of its iPhone app to correct a permissions error, while the Android version of Pokémon Go was updated with support for smartphones with Intel x86 processors such as the Asus ZenFone line of devices and appears to support Google’s latest version of Android 7.0 Nougat, which is still in beta.

The Android app update, which is again available via third-party file hosting services such as APK Mirror, is also considerably faster and appears more stable.

The smash-hit game’s popularity has left Niantic struggling to meet the server demands of existing players, which put brakes on its plans for worldwide expansion. The limited country-by-country access has seen players across the world resorting to sideloading the app on Android or downloading it with a US iTunes account on an iPhone.

Now that Pokémon Go has officially landed in Europe and in its first non-English language, players will be hoping for a prompt rollout in the rest of the continent, but Niantic has yet to announce a timescale for such wider availability.