Is Petcube Play a Godsend for Your Lonely Pet? | Smart Pet Camera Review

There’s a lot of hype around the Petcube Play, a cool wi-fi pet camera with an in-built laser and two-way audio option that allows you to speak to, hear, see, and play with your pet while you are away from home. The sleek but petite pet cam comes with tons of interesting features like live feed of your pet’s whereabouts, motion detection, automatic night vision, video recording, and one neat remotely controllable laser.

In short, the Petcube Play has anything lonely pets need to stay connected to their humans or avoid being bored to death while their owners are away. But let’s take a more in-depth look at this innovative pet gadget.

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HOW CAN THE PETCUBE PLAY KEEP YOUR PET ENTERTAINED?

While you’re away – when you are either at work/school, gone out on a weekend, or on a vacation, your pet will likely get lonely. Or you’ll just become homesick for your favorite fur ball and sense an urge of checking in on them to see if they are ok. This is where the Petcube Play can get really useful.

Unlike a webcam or pet monitoring app, this tiny gizmo allows you to interact and play with your pet in real time right from your smartphone. You can watch what your pet has been up to in real time or recorded footage. And thanks to the in-built laser toy, you can spend hours of crazy fun with your pet by remotely moving the laser pointer around the room for your curious furry friend to chase. You’ll just have to tap your smartphone’s or tablet’s screen and move a finger across it.

There’s also a setting that will automatically beam the laser pointer for a few minutes every 15 minutes. If you have a pet that never gets tired of chasing the elusive red dot, the fun is assured. And you’ll be able to watch the entire show live (or later) from your smartphone.

The only downside of the laser toy is that it can get a little laggy at times. However, the delay is not too big (one or two seconds, max) and it won’t ruin the game. Also, some users have reported issues about the laser pointer not reaching the floor. We recommend placing the Petcube on a taller surface for maximum laser performance. The cube comes with a tripod receptacle for a good reason.

THE MANY USES OF THE PETCUBE PLAY

KEEPING TABS ON YOUR PET

When you’re not home you can remotely check in on your pet.
You can either watch a high-res live feed of your home/room or check what the device’s app has recorded via its motion sensor; the Petcube Play will beam a 10-second video to your smartphone every time its sensor detects noise and/or movement.
You can also download the videos or photos from the app.
It is always a nice thing to see what your pets are up to when you’re not home (and have some proof of it).

REMOTELY INTERACT WITH YOUR PET

The Petcube Play comes with an in-built two-way speaker so that you can talk to and hear your pet talk back to you and vice versa.
Many pet owners have managed to keep their home alone pets’ morals up while they were away by simply talking to their pets via the Petcube.
While at first, hearing your voice but not seeing you might startle your furry friend, all pets have responded extremely well to the Petcube.
Also, you can have endless fun with your furry friend with the laser pointer just like the two of you are physically together.

SMART HOME SURVEILLANCE SOLUTION

You’ll be impressed by the Petcube Play’s high-tech features despite its small size (just 3x3x3 in.).
The cube is equipped with a wide-angle lens, night vision, and automatic motion detection.
These three features and the video recording feature can turn the Petcube into a highly effective remote home monitoring system.
For instance, if the Petcube Play senses that the light is too dim, it automatically switches to the night vision mode, beaming infrared light across the room so you can clearly see what is going on without alerting any potential intruder.

What’s in the package

The package contains three main things: the Petcube Play, an outlet adapter, and a 6-foot USB cord. You’ll also get a manual and a handful of Petcube stickers for that time when you feel like you can absolutely not live without the Petcube and want the whole world to know it.

The Setup

The setup up is surprisingly quick and straightforward. The Petcube Play is almost a plug-and-play device. You’ll just have to install an app before you are all set. Here are the main steps:

Install the PetCube app (it works on both iOS and Android)
Plug the device in to a power source
Wait for the app to recognize the Petcube
Set up a free account in the app (you can name the cube after your pet and add a profile picture)
Connect the camera to your Wi-Fi network (the app will easily walk you through the entire process.) Once connected to the Internet, you are up and running.

Precautions

Your Petcube Play account will allow you to share your Petcube with your family (through private sharing) or complete strangers (via Facebook). Everyone you’ve shared the device with via the app will be able to view what your pet is doing in real time and/or use the laser pointer to play with them.

The Facebook live-streaming feature was introduced with the release of the Petcube Play. The original Petcube did not have it. However, we do recommend exercising caution about whom you plan to share your pet, room, and personal stuff with.

Reasons to Love the Petcube Play

It is tiny and compact, has a sleek look, and will fit in any décor; it doesn’t feel cheap.
Despite its small size, the Petcube will enable you to view an entire room clearly thanks to its state-of-the-art wide angle camera.
Setup is a breeze.
It has a very good video quality (at 1080p) and decent refresh rate.
Night vision has exceeded all our expectations.
Amazing two-way speaker and interactive laser to keep your pet entertained while you’re gone.
Optional cloud storage service to store pet footage

Reasons to Avoid the Petcube Play

Streaming may lag in high definition video
The Petcube Play doesn’t support multiple cameras.
The optional cloud storage service for storing tons of fun pet action is a bit pricey (4 hour of video history are free, though)

Customer Opinions

Many pet owners that have tried the Petcube Play wi-fi pet camera have fallen in love with it. The two-way communication of this smart cam is incredible, and the interactive laser-pointer feature is a giant plus. What’s more, thanks to features like live feed, in-built two-way speakers, and night vision, you’ll be able to check in on and stay connected with your pet via your smart device 24/7. Your pet and you will never feel lonely when the two of you are apart.

The two main complaint from users that we have interviewed was about the video streaming lagging in high definition. The Petcube Pro may face some video quality and latency issues when streaming. But the video quality largely depends on the internet connection on both ends. We recommend a minimum of 2MB of upload speed to steer clear of this issue.

Conclusion

The Petcube Play is seemingly the best wifi pet camera on the market, according to dozens of happy pet owners. If you’re on the fence about buying it, know that it is well worth the investment and peace of mind. And as a pet toy, it guarantees endless fun with your furry friend while you are away. Staying connected with your home alone pet has never been easier.

Buy It Now!