The UwU Virtual Pet Buffer is a Tamagotchi in a guitar pedal

I’m not going to pretend I understand you, the Engadget reader. Trying to predict what will make your little nerd heart skip a beat is a bit of a crapshoot. But I’m pretty confident that a Tamagotchi in a guitar pedal is right up your alley. Ground Control Audio showed up at NAMM 2024 with the UwU Virtual Pet Buffer Pedal.

Now, buffer pedals are just about the least exciting piece of equipment you can buy for your pedalboard. Probably even less than a tuner. But if you have a particularly large board or long cables, a buffer can significantly improve your sound. Basically all it does is take the incoming signal and give it a little boost so you don’t lose precious highs to tone. Like I said, not exciting.

What UwU does is no different, except that it has a Tamagotchi-style virtual pet and a handful of built-in mini-games. As you play, your new pedal buddy dances and earns experience points. As the little cat-like creature gains experience, it progresses through 30 levels with unique animations. As for what happens once you cross that 30-level threshold, well, the company hasn’t decided yet. But there is still time to decide since the pedal is not expected to ship before March.

If just having a new virtual boyfriend on your board isn’t enough for you, UwU also has three built-in mini-games. There’s Long Cat (a snake clone), Fishy Blox (vaguely Tetris-like), and Neko Invader. . The tiny monochrome OLED and small buttons aren’t exactly ideal for playing games (and I might add that leaning over a pedalboard isn’t either), but it seems true to its inspiration in old games on cellphone.

If you’re sitting there wondering “why?” » Well, first of all, why not? Second, to continue playing, obviously. Finding the time and motivation to play or practice guitar can be difficult. Especially if you’re a teenager with a hectic life of extracurriculars or, like me, a busy father of two with a demanding day job. UwU gives you a reason to play beyond just knowing you should. Devoting a few minutes each day to play will keep your adorable little UwU happy and healthy. Frankly, if I had one when I was younger and stubbornly clung to my belief that I didn’t need to know music theory or musical technique, I might be a more competent guitarist.

Of course, this wouldn’t matter if the UwU was a shitty buffer. But it has 18V headroom and doesn’t color your tone at all. It’s even very small, so finding space for it on even the most crowded cranksets shouldn’t be too difficult.

The UwU Virtual Animal Pad is now available for pre-order directly from Ground Control Audio for $139.