Petcube Play Review: The Best Value Pet Camera

Last updated on 2022-09-22
By Yvonne

Petcube Play: A Best-Value Pet Camera. Pet owners who want to monitor their furry friend while on vacation will love checking in with Petcube Play. It's a flexible, affordable pet camera that is very versatile.

Petcube Play Interactive

We like this

Compact design
It is easy to set-up
Great video quality
Games with manual and automatic controls
Mobile notifications based on behavior

The Things We Hate

Subscription model limits functionality
One user is allowed to view the stream live at any given time.
Fixed camera angle

Although the Petcube Play can be expensive, its 1080p camera and night vision mode are well worth it. It also has manual and automated laser games.

The Petcube Play Pet Camera was purchased by us so that our reviewer could fully test it and evaluate its quality. Continue reading to see our complete product review.

Pet owners will no longer be concerned about their furry companions' activities with the Petcube Play pet cam. The camera records crisp 1080p video and has night vision. It also comes with a variety of games. This is a great way to keep your pet entertained while you're away.

Design: It blends seamlessly into your home

Three small stickers are included, along with a reset tool and start guide. The Petcube Play comes in a cardboard box. It is small and lightweight at just 1.1 pounds. There are three color options available: matte silver, carbon black and rose gold. The Petcube Play is a stylish, metal-look design with a sleek glass look that blends into the hand. It will fit comfortably in any space without making it stand out.

Night vision works well in combination with laser games because the red laser dot stands out even in darkness.

Considerations: There are many options

You need to think about where your pet spends most of their time. This is the ideal place for your pet camera so you can capture those moments when you are away. Petcube suggests that the Petcube Play should be at least 3 feet from the ground. Petcube Play's camera angle is set, which means that it can be adjusted during usage.

It's not a major issue, though, as the Petcube's wide angle camera lens (138 degrees) was capable of capturing clear views of the entire room and our pets at all times. This attachment is available at the Petcube Store for $19.99. It screws into the mounting hole on the Petcube Play. The user can tilt the mount as needed. We didn't think this was necessary.

Installation: Easy and quick

It was easy to set up. We followed the steps in the guide and connected the Petcube with its power cord. Next, we downloaded the Petcube app to our Samsung Galaxy S8 via the Google Play Store.

The Petcube was now ready to connect once its light started blinking green. We followed the instructions in the app to link the Petcube Play with Wi-Fi. To locate your Petcube on mobile devices, Bluetooth must be turned on. After this is completed, it will take the Petcube Play 5-15 minutes to connect with the cloud and download the most recent firmware updates. Users get the most out of their device right from the start. We found the process quick and simple. It was also easy to connect the Petcube Play to the Petcube App.

App Support, Awesome .... for a Price

Petcube's mobile app has many highlights including two-way communication, manual and automatic control of laser games as well as behavior-based notifications. The Petcube App can be downloaded from either the Google Play Store, or the iOS App Store. This means that both Android and Apple users are supported. The Petcube Play has games, which is why the name of the device includes the word "play". Pet cameras don't all allow pets to interact with the camera. This is why the Petcube stands out from the rest.

The controls were easy to use and smooth. Simply tap the screen of your smartphone or tablet and the laser will move to the spot where it was tapped in the Petcube’s view. You can set the laser games so that they play when there is significant movement. This is an excellent way to keep pets entertained throughout the day. Pet owners who need to play with their pets when they are away from home should consider the Petcube Play.

Petcube Play has many features that will allow pet owners to monitor and connect their pets from far away.

We also loved the feature of two-way communication. It was clear and responsive, with a crisp sound. The Petcube Play can capture the voices of pets, from soft meows and loud barks. The two-way microphone also enabled us to talk our pet's in real-time—or respond to pets if we caught them acting naughty, thanks to the app's handy mobile notifications.

Petcube's mobile notification are an important feature of the device. Pet owners who want to keep an eye on their pets' activity when they are away can set the Petcube Play into awake or sleep mode. This allows Petcube Play the ability to send out notifications to mobile devices based on what the camera has detected. You can trigger these notifications based on pet activity, barking, meowing, pets, and person actions. These notifications were very useful and allowed us to follow the secrets of our pet's day. However, the subscription model made it less effective.

The free subscribers can only view 10 second videos within the last four hours. Paid subscribers have 30-second videos, up to 10-days worth of video history and a larger window to save or share videos. The user must decide whether they want the free functionality, or to spend $2.99-$9.99 per month or $29-$99 for a subscription.

Video Quality: Great even at night

It has a night vision camera with 1080p resolution. This camera is excellent in quality. The camera captures clear, blur-free video of the area in which it is installed. Users can view the entire room in low or high light conditions. This is useful for checking on pets at night. Because the red laser dots really stand out in darkness, the night vision mode is also great for use with laser games. If a pet is having trouble tracking the laser's movements in daylight, this mode can be useful. The Petcube Play has one drawback. It can only stream to one device. This is a problem if you want to monitor pets live with friends or family.

Pricing: Great value for specific features

The price range for pet cameras is between $100 and $400. The Petcube Play has a $199 MSRP and is focused on monitoring and games. Although it isn't a simple model, it doesn't fall at the top of the range. It does include key features like night vision and two-way communication. These features have been well developed. It's not cheap, as with all pet cameras, but the features that it offers are worth it.

Petcube Play vs. Pawbo Life Pet Camera

Pawbo Life Pet Camera is Petcube Play's primary competitor. While the prices are similar, there are important differences that pet owners need to be aware of.

Contrary to Petcube Play's Pawbo Life the Pawbo Life is more of an everyday pet. The main advantage of the Pawbo Life over the Petcube Play is its remote treat function. This allows you to place small treats in a rotating container that can be dispensed through your app to pets who are hungry. Petcube Play does not have a remote treat function, but it supports behavior-based and night vision mobile notifications. These are important features that Pawbo Life lacks. The Petcube wins if you are concerned about keeping track of your pet's daily activities. You don't have to miss any moment thanks to the mobile notifications.

Final Verdict

This versatile and functional camera for pets has great features.

Petcube Play has many great features that will allow pet owners to monitor and connect their pets from far away. However, the only problem is that the Petcube Play subscription model requires that you subscribe to keep your video history longer than the 4 hour window allowed by the free subscription. The Petcube Play offers a versatile and fun way to keep in touch with your pets on-the-go. It also has a number of unique features that make it stand out from other devices.

Specifications

Product name Play Interactive
Petcube Product Brand
Prices from $199.00
Weigh 2 lbs.
Product dimensions 3x3x3in
Energy Input 5V2A
Power Adapter 110V/240V Power Adapter
Android Smartphone Compatibility Android Smartphone (5.1 and greater) or iPhone iPhone (iOS 9.3 and greater)
Wi-Fi Environment Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz / BLE module
Laser built-in laser 5mW class 3R laser. Certified and safe
Upload Speed Minimum 1 Mbit Upload speed (recommended at 2Mbs
Camera 1080p HD Camera
Lens 138° wide angle camera lens and 3x digital zoom
Night vision yes
Audio 2 way audio stream using built-in mic and speaker
Security 128 bit encryption
Weighing 1.1 lbs