First announced at CES in Las Vegas in January, Sphero has finally put its "battle worn" version of BB-8 on sale alongside offering the "Force Band" that allows you to control the Droid by moving your arm.

The Droid, which is identical in all aspects apart from the new lick of paint, will also come with a new optional accessory, the Force Band.

Working in a similar way to the Apple Watch app already available, the wrist band will allow you to control BB-8 by moving around your arm, but without having to own the Apple wearable or better still use an smartphone - something that is sure to please a lot of parents. 

Owners will be able to perform a number of gestures to move and steer, as well as perform tricks as if they wield the power of The Force.

After you've advanced beyond Droid Control, you'll be able to expand your abilities as BB-8 guides you through Force Training claims Sphero. Users will be able to use the band by itself to complete Combat Training for Blasters, Lightsabers, and the Force itself, or uncover and collect digital holocrons in your environment with Force Awareness.

may the force be with you battle worn bb 8 and force band let you ditch phone control image 3
Pocket-lint

A Sphero spokesman told Pocket-lint in January that the Force Band offers a much better "core experience" over the Apple Watch.

The addition of the Force Band makes for a great accessory, although we suspect it will take users some time to get to grips with the control mechanism. We've tried the Apple Watch app and it is great fun and watching the demo dudes at the show it will certainly appeal to kids and adults keen to get their iPhones back.

The Force Band is compatible with the original BB-8 App-Enabled Droid by Sphero and other Sphero robots powered by Bluetooth SMART.

The Special Edition comes bundled with the Force Band and will retail for £179.99

The Force Band will also be sold separately for £69.99

Both the Force Band and Special Edition Battle-Worn BB-8 Droid will be available worldwide on 30th September from Disney Store, Amazon UK, Argos and Tesco.