Hot in the track marks of its new R2-D2 and BB-9E droids, Sphero has already rolled another robot out of the Star Wars galaxy and into our living rooms.
Imperial Astromech Droid R2-Q5 is basically R2-D2’s evil twin, and had a fleeting appearance aboard the second Death Star in Return of the Jedi. He even shared a corridor with everyone’s favourite Sith lord, Big DV (to his mates).
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Q5 seems to be essentially a resprayed Artoo, which is no bad thing, since Sphero’s take on that charismatic little rustbucket has been one of our favourite toys of the year. That means remote control – including a rotatable head – via an app, as well as a number of preset actions, and a Draw & Drive programming mode.
He also helps even up the sides, joining Dark Side rollerballer BB-9E in the fight against Sphero’s R2-D2 and BB-8, representing the resistance. All four droids can interact with each other in Patrol mode, making it worth collecting them all.
The Sphero R2-Q5 will be available for pre-order from October 10, and in the UK exclusively at John Lewis from October 27 for £199.99.
Will Sphero’s new droid trundle into your home? Let us know on Twitter @trustedreviews
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.