The remote control aspect of BB-8 has been completely revised, with Spin Master switching from infrared to RF for better signal, and reworking the joystick as well. The controller has been redesigned as a gamepad sporting two thumb sticks, which should make the bot much easier to control for kids raised on Xbox and PlayStation.

You can also get the droid to follow around whoever happens to be holding the controller, and it will do its best to keep up with your movements, getting confused if it loses track and expressing a burble of satisfaction when it locates you again.

BB-8 consumes a lot of power to get around, so the bot charges in two sections. The round body plugs directly into the wall, and 45 minutes of charging will yield you about half that time of active play; longer if you leave BB-8 on autonomous mode. The head charges via micro USB, so you can plug it into any computer to top it off.

We should hopefully see the BB-8 Hero Droid in stores some time later this year -- hopefully in time for the premiere of The Last Jedi in mid-December. The $230 price might seem a little steep, but it is the closest most of us get to having a life-size astromech droid to follow us around on adventures.