I’d never really considered my desktop to be a lonely space until Desktop Mate piqued my interest by adding a Hatsune Miku desktop pet in January last year. It was only when I watched over the blue-haired Vocaloid running about my screen that I realised just how much empty space I was staring at each day. But there’s something a little weird about having something vaguely human trapped in your computer screen, even if it is Hatsune Miku. Luckily, Desktop Mate has announced a shiny new Sanrio DLC which brings all your favourite characters to the comfort of your screen, and yes, it’s just as cute as it sounds.
There are six characters to choose from: Kuromi, My Melody, Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll, Pochacco, and my absolute favourite PomPomPurin. Each character will be sold separately at $14.99 each too, which is worth noting if you’ve got more than one favourite and want multiple characters. But, if you do end up adopting more than one, it looks like you’ll be able to easily toggle between them if you want to change who you’re hanging out with.
Much like my beloved Miku desktop pet, each of these Sanrio characters will find ways to entertain themselves around your desktop, whether that’s by sleeping on top of your browser windows, wandering around, or peeking around the corners of your screen while you’re working. Each character also has a set of animations exclusive to them, alongside voice lines in Japanese which may occasionally play in the background to remind you they’re there.
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Rather than being a super interactive desktop pet, they’re quite happy to just do their own thing while you work away, which I particularly like about the Desktop Mate DLCs. You don’t need to worry about feeding them, monitoring their happiness, or making sure their space is clean, so there’s no need to watch over them like you would a normal desktop pet or idle game. Considering how obsessed I become with things like desktop pets and idle games, this is probably for the best.
We’ve still got a little while to wait before we can enjoy the company of our favourite Sanrio pals though, as the DLC won’t launch until Thursday, March 5. But, if you ask me, it’s well worth the wait, and I will be there frame one to add a PomPomPurin pet to my desktop. You’ll only be able to get ahold of these Sanrio buddies for a year, as they’ll be available until March 4, 2027.
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