Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Petcube Play 2 Wi-Fi Pet Camera with Laser Toy for Cats & Dogs, 1080P HD Video, 160° Full-Room View, 2-Way Audio, Sound/Motion Alerts, Night Vision, Pet Monitoring App

Great product does everything it claims and works well

Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2019

Color: Matte SilverStyle: Petcube PlayVerified Purchase

Let me start this review by stating (because many product pages are overrun with inflated fake 5-star reviews now) I have not been compensated or encouraged in any way, shape, or form by the seller to write a review or give the product a rating. I have chosen to write this review simply because I wanted to.

I have been a long time amazon shopper and typically never write reviews for products. However, the PetCube 2 Play has made my girlfriend so happy that I felt I had to share some of the positivity. First, the elephant in the room. This is at the time of writing this review a $200.00 dollar product. Now let me tell you why it MIGHT be worth the high price tag.

Setting up the product was extremely easy. Depending on how savvy you are with technology it should take anywhere from 5 - 20 minutes. The product does require a Wifi network to function and of course, is going to work best with a compatible smartphone. Once you link the product into the Wifi network it's pretty much ready to go.

It comes with Alexa built-in and can be controlled by the smartphone app when away from the house.
The video quality is very good and the device powers on with a distinctive chime when it powers on that will likely condition your pet to get interested every time they hear it. The laser function works great as well, of course, there is some lag however this does not affect your ability to use the laser to play with your pet. The Zoom and night vision function also works well. No, you won't be able to see every tiny detail in the pitch-black dark but you can still see enough to see your pet, move the laser around a bit, and make sure they're still there which is ultimately the point of the product. Not to count the hairs on their head in the dark so I won't penalize the product for not having $2,000.00 nightvision equipment built-in. You can also use the device to speak through and the product works great at performing this function with no issues but I will say the benefit of this will probably depend on your particular pet. In our case the cats show no interest when you talk to them over the device however that is probably how they would react in you were in the same room.

Ultimately, if you're the type of person that needs to check in on your pets while you're away or if you just want to stimulate your pet with the laser to wake them from deep boredom while you're at work or such then the PetCube 2 play is definitely a good product and does what it claims. Personally, I am not that type of person and don't feel the need to watch my pets with a video camera however my girlfriend is and used to experience a lot of anxiety when away worrying about her cats. After a week of using the product my girlfriend actually cried when she told me how happy she was that I had given this to her and how much stress it took out of her daily life. So if you have a girlfriend, wife, husband, aunt, grandma, or sister who is constantly stressed about leaving their pet alone without knowing if they're okay then the $200.00 is worth the peace of mind and stress relief it will bring. If you just want a camera to watch your house while you're gone there are more cost-effective options out there. Again, I will reiterate that these words and review is my own and in no way was I compensated or encouraged by the seller to review or rate this product. Thanks for reading my thoughts!

23 people found this helpful

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B. Mann

Works great on Wi-Fi and cellular. Laser toy is great!

Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2024

Color: Matte SilverStyle: Petcube PlayVerified Purchase

I didn’t know what to expect when I got this as far as quality of video or laser toy or connectivity away from the house. All I can say it has far surpassed my expectations in every way. Let me give you an example. I was on my way down to the ground on a plane. I thought, let me check on my cat. Using the Wi-Fi on the plane, I was able to access the video feed in my home living room and see my cat was there bored and needing to play. I enabled the laser toy and proceeded to play with her for five minutes while we finished landing. She had a great time and I was reassured she was ok. The quality of the video was great, almost no lag, and the laser toy worked like a charm! There is a little lag for the laser toy but it still is great. A+ for this. I would gladly recommend to anyone.

Setup wasn’t that hard either. The only hiccup was that I chose a camera option for someone in my building that they were already using. Once I selected the correct Petcube model, it connected fast and easy!!

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Max Herold

Best smart pet laser toy on the marker

Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2024

Color: Matte SilverStyle: Petcube PlayVerified Purchase

High quality video camera that lets me play with my pet from anywhere. Only thing stopping me from a 5 star review is that there is no customization on the Autoplay, like being able to turn it off at night, or limiting how often. Also, the touch screen is just barely off so maybe some calibration would be good. But not a big deal, I still really like it.

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Jamazon

Petcube Play MADE our day!!

Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2019

Color: Matte SilverStyle: Petcube PlayVerified Purchase

As puppy parents, we work roughly 9-10 hours a day and feel bad leaving our fur baby home alone for so long. When we heard about pet cube play, we had to try it.

As always, Amazon did deliver on time and with proper tracking, which is always a plus. One minor note, the packaging it came in was a non-insulated envelope, rather than a box, which damaged the corner of the petcube play box. Not a big deal since the petcube play itself was properly packaged, but we enjoy keeping the box as well.

As soon as it arrived, we had to give it a try. Our doggo, “Maui” always enjoyed laser toys. Packing of the Petcube Play was nice and compact. We like the simplicity of it and the sleek design of the body itself, it blends well with our decor.
Maui noticed the chime as soon as it went off, that it was time to play. Setup was easy, as is with most petcube items, mainly due to the visuals along with the text to help guide set up.

One of the most difficult learning features was controlling the laser during manual play, there is a little bit of a lag, as well as a learning curve. It takes a bit to learn how not to point the laser at certain areas of the house you do want your dog climbing all over.

There is a neat feature for automatic sense play. When the motion sensor is triggered, the laser can be calibrated and play with your dog when motion is sensed. This helps out quite a bit when we are away, while also caputring her moments of joy. We didnt know, but petcube play also came with Alexa! First time using it in the house. One freature we wish they had is a manual schedule we can input so she can play at certain times. Maui sleeps througout the day, but the petcube play would randomly turn on and disturb her sleep. Not really sure how to turn this off other than manually.

Overall, this was a great purchase for entertaining the puppy while giving us a chance to relax and watch her play. Although the price may seem a little steep, the resolution quality and petcube support you recieve with it justifies the cost.

5 people found this helpful

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Garrett Mac

Full PRO/CON list inside! READ BEFORE YOU BUY!

Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2020

Color: Matte SilverStyle: Petcube PlayVerified Purchase

Find another product.

Here’s a full list of my pros and cons however I would advise you looking at the Apple/Play store reviews before purchasing because this has Alexa something that Amazon pushes so I’d be lucky if they don’t hide this review as a product they want to push. I’m also surprised at the high rating here in the low rating in the App Store is because of these problems. I think there’s review manipulation on this product.

Cons
* Records videos into 10 second groups. If you want to increase that to 30 sec you need to create to a subscription plan, more here below... (
* So 5 minutes of recording split into 10 second videos leads to 30 recordings for every five minutes that you’re gonna have to sift through define something you’re looking for. And that means 30 push notifications every 10 seconds — their app claims to have updated this I haven’t used it to find out)
* Only stores a small amount of video recordings before deleting the old ones first ( if I’m guess maybe around 60 it stores by default without a plan—being 10 min of video)
* Filtering through recorded clips is a nightmare. It takes forever what you’re looking for doesn’t do any sort of grouping
* So if your pet sleeps in a room and you Wake up and somethings destroyed the Motion detection would have created 60 recordings you have to click into each individual recording I hope that you were lucky enough it was captured in the last 10 minutes of recording otherwise it got deleted overnight)
* Only cloud video storage, no option for local storage
* This force you into their subscription Model.
* Any of there video quality claims are irrelevant (I think they claim it’s 720p?) Because they all get uploaded into the cloud where in any data transfer or compression (which they’re definitely doing a lot of sending it over the wire) You’re losing the video quality because the video quality bad. Low frames per second so very jumpy
* has subscription model-based model after you purchase.
* The plans aren’t solving the underlying issue. I don’t want to have any video grouping derived by it’s seconds, I want it by start to finish movement interaction .
* They have 2 plans a $50 and $100 plan that allow them to store more recordings in higher secs per video chuncks (like 30s per video for the $50 plan I think)
* doesn’t support 5ghz WiFi networks (only 2.4)
* No configuration on Autoplay for on or off hours. Ergo your cats could be loud/wild while you sleep
Pros
* beautiful exterior design
* Auto play feature (every few hours the laser will start moving around)
* Night vision works well
* App lets you watch and play with the laser live

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

TheElderGodFather

Update: Over a year later

Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2019

Color: Matte SilverStyle: Petcube PlayVerified Purchase

Pros:
5ghz wifi, all round better performance in accessing camera and using laser pointer manually.
autoplay is still there and works just as well as before

Cons:
"Built in Alexa" is not the same as an "echo" device. While it's in my app and I can rename it and adjust the volume, I cannot add it to speaker groups or put in in a room. So it's good for taking commands for your smart devices but it's not a replacement for having a full on Echo in the room for music, drop-in etc. Not sure if this is on Amazon's end or Pet cube's. Other major con is with the 1 I could go to the website and select a plan, The care plans were available at a discount if you paid yearly. This one seems to want to railroad me into a $6 a month "optimal" plan which seems to have some of the features of the old premium 10 day plan (smart alerts etc) but with less cloud access (only 3 days of cloud access) At least in the app there's no other options listed.

MAJOR CON:
The app seems to have lost support for many devices - my mother had a generic tablet it worked on, but suddenly it doesn't work on her new Galaxy Tab. Went to install it on her older Galaxy 5 phone and it isn't there either.
Went to install it on my Lenovo Yoga book (android) and it too is not supported. These are all enterprise class devices and there's no reason they should not be supported. Ring works on each of them, why doesn't Pet Cube.

Also the Plan is much worse, they finally started doing annual plans, but it's WAY overpriced - $90 a year for one device for 2 weeks cloud and smart notifications (by comparison I get unlimited ring cams, with notifications and monitored home security system for $100) for tipple the cost they'll do unlimited, but you can't mix generations of camera, so if you have an old one, it's still separate plan. At this rate I canceled the plan for the Play2, and I'm inclined to cancel the play g1 plan once it comes up for renewal.

I like it for the laser pointer, of the dogs and the cat, only 1 dog and the cat play with it.
Sensing animals is nice, but Ring and Wyze cams can already sense all motion. for the most part these are nanny cams, we really don't review much old footage and just use them to check up on the furbabies. just a pain they offer so little service at such high prices.

Update 12/08/2020
In the last 2 months, ever since I quit paying for subscription, I will check on the app that this or the other pet cube will be set to "care asleep" only 3 people have access to it and both other users (mother and wife) say they aren't turning it off or hitting the "care awake \ asleep" function - I can only surmise that PETCUBE is either turning it off intentionally to "encourage" me to subscribe again or that sloppy design \ placement has it so that one of them is hitting it on accident and not noticing. VERY annoying to check in on the camera and see that the care has been turned off and there's been no history and of course unless it was turned off in the last 4 hours I'm not going to see any past videos because they are so CHEAP with their plan. (again Wyze gives you 14 days for free and has a faster better cheaper camera... when it works - RING is far superior, but more expensive)

20 people found this helpful

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ScottB

Tough to review - good but PRICEY

Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2020

Color: Matte SilverStyle: Petcube PlayVerified Purchase

Summary: I do like the Petcube play 2 camera, although is too expensive. I do not like Petcube's marketing policies. At all.

First, the price. For the price of the petcube play, you can buy 6 or 7 similar home security cameras that offer nearly everything the petcube play does. You won't get Alexa (which I don't use anyway, and I hear is limited on the Petcube) or the laser pointer (which is fun!) but everything else is comparable. And other cameras have better apps to view and control them from. So it's very expensive, and for like $125 more, you're getting a remote controlled laser pointer. Worth it? Maybe. My sphynx cat loves it, but it's confusing to her when she hears my voice :(

But they also badger you to upgrade to their paid service. So not only is the camera crazy expensive to begin with, they keep features from you unless you pay even more! And they constantly ask you to do said upgrade. Emails and in-app.

About those emails... since I set up my camera, I got about 4 emails a day asking me to do various things: review the camera, upgrade my service, etc. Each of those required a separate unsubscribe - so who knows how many lists I'm on. And when I asked a review when they kept begging me too and complained about how they keep emailing me, THEY EMAILED ME!!! I guess some people would be ok with this but personally I hate it. 1 email list I can deal with...

So this is tough to review. I like the camera itself; image, speaker, and night vision are good, it looks pretty cool and is well built, and the laser pointer is fun. But the value is questionable, and the way they keep bothering me is straight up annoying.

EDIT: To be fair I wanted to update this. The ads and nags to update to the paid service seem to have stopped, and after unsubscribing from 3 (I think) email lists the emails also seem to have stopped. My review stands otherwise though.

100 people found this helpful

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Toughpuddle

I wish I had bought it sooner!

Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2019

Color: Matte SilverStyle: Petcube PlayVerified Purchase

As someone who works in the medical field this is perfect for checking in and playing with your pet on those long shifts at the hospital.

Video Quality:
The video quality is good enough to see everything in view and the wide angle covers my entire apartment. I've included a pair of photos to demonstrate the quality and the scope it covers. The plant in the foreground is there for reference as it is about a meter tall. The quality isn't exactly 4k but 1080p works well enough for our needs. My fiancé and I can clearly see where our cat is throughout the day providing us with a sense of relief. The camera has the ability to screenshot pictures or record video while you are using it, which is nice to share funny moments of playing with the laser pointer. You do have to pay for the subscription to save video automatically when you're not actively viewing the camera, which is a downside, but the option is there for an additional cost.

Laser pointer:
I was most impressed with the laser pointer function. I really thought the laser pointer would be sub-par, stutter around, and difficult to control but I was wrong. After calibrating the laser to your room, the laser smoothly drags across the room as you move your finger. I've had no trouble on breaks playing with my cat

Ease of use/setup/security:
Setting up the camera is very easy and the app walks you through it step by step. I've yet to encounter any issues connecting to the device remotely and have had no problem walking my family members through the process of accessing the camera. The biggest selling point for myself is the security and encryption PetCube provides. I wouldn't want a no-name competitor camera in my household, especially one that can show not only my pet but what I'm doing as well. With their rigorous encryption standards I have no worries that anyone is hacking into my camera.

At first I was skeptical of this device and the cost compared to other pet cameras on Amazon. But after using the device, you'll understand its worth it. The quality/view of the camera, the extremely easy to use laser pointer, and the top notch privacy features make this a must buy and I only wish I had bought it earlier.

3 people found this helpful

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DaveyB

UPDATE: Still much room for improvement, but worth the cost and hassle.

Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2022

Color: Matte SilverStyle: Petcube PlayVerified Purchase

Update:

After much back and forth with customer service, I finally received a replacement device and it behaved in a similar manner to the original with one notable exception.

The device was still VERY far off from where my finger was on the camera image to where the laser dot appeared in the real world. I don't know why they chose to remove the "calibration" option in the Play 2, but whatever they did to compensate for it doesn't seem to be the best. I realize that the farther the beam projects, the error will be increased, but being able to adjust the beam would make this perfect. Customer support was not (or chose not) to tell me how close the dot tracking should be so I could judge if my unit was indeed working to specifications.

The one thing that was greatly improved with the replacement unit was the range of the laser during automatic play; the replacement uses far more of the area than the original did.

The Amazon Echo skill doesn't work about half the time and there is no way to manually initiate an automatic play session other than via Alexa. You can set the Play 2 to automatically play on motion, but you can't initiate manually other than with Alexa.

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Original Review:

The concept of the PetCube Play 2 was perfect; everything that I was looking for (and a few things I wasn't). I received the device, set it up, and found a few things that were problematic. First, the main issue that seemingly can't be fixed: Don't expect to be able to see the laser dot on your phone screen if it is daytime or a even moderately bright room.

This is a deal breaker if the supposedly fixable issue can't be fixed: the laser dot is so far off from where I touch or swipe on the phone to where it ends up on the floor or wall. I immediately went to the support articles and was instructed by an article that claimed it was for the Play 2 (as well as the original Play) that there is a calibration setting to adjust the laser. When I couldn't find the setting, I reached out to their support chat (which is very responsive, tho not very helpful) about it. I was told that the calibration setting was removed from the Play 2 and replaced with an automatic system for calibration. I followed their steps or resetting and Play 2 and re-adding it to my account and it was still very far off.

I was then instructed to add the support account as a friend (BTW there are several accounts pretending to be support which will give some stranger access to your camera. I mentioned this to supprt, and they didn't seem to care; so be careful if you're in the same boat) so I could share control of my Play 2 with their support staff. I did that and they confirmed it was indeed off. Was told they needed to escalate to management for a resolution and I should expect to hear back in 24 or 48 hours.

Fast forward to over 2 weeks and still no resolution. I have checked in with support every few days since the original complaint and I am told "another 24 hours" every time I check.

Because the laser can't be seen on camera when it is bright and I know that where I put my finger on the screen isn't where it will end up, I can only use it remotely during the evening.

In addition, when the laser is put into automatic Play mode, it travels the full horizontal distance (i.e., left and right) but only uses what I estimate is about 20% of the vertical motion. Not a very large area that gets covered by the laser. I am hoping this is a result of the same defect as the calibration issue and will be resolved when it is replaced, but I am not sure.

I am giving the support folks one more day, at their request, to get "management" to resolve it before I return it to Amazon and get a replacement. If the replacement acts the same way, it will go back permanently.

Such great potential, but the execution and their support fall well short.

I will update this review as I have more to offer.

2 people found this helpful

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Jack Levy

Fun product but could be better customer support communication.

Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2023

Color: Matte SilverStyle: Petcube PlayVerified Purchase

Mine will not connect to a hidden SSID, customer support left me hanging for well over a week. No one even bothered to troubleshoot with me.

Do not recommend, for the price it should come with some basic support - nope. Nothing.

Edit: finally after a couple weeks of zero movement I finally got word that there was a new firmware that would address the issue. It did fix the problem. While still not happy with the lack of communication the camera does work as advertised and is a fun addition to my cat room aka library.

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