darkSpyro

I'd like to get a Bluetooth portal to use for my iOS games, but I really don't feel like paying $40-$50 for Battlegrounds and not sure if I can trust the ones on eBay. Is the one that comes with Battlegrounds the only one that has Bluetooth capability? I was assuming it was, but then I keep coming across portals on eBay that say they are good for Wii or iOS. I know the Wii has Bluetooth capabilities, so I thought it was possible. But it's also why I was reluctant to buy them on eBay. With deals on the Giants starter packs and the McDs coupon, I thought about just picking up another copy of Giants if one of the other portals worked with iOS. If not, I might just have to take my chances on eBay.

Well, you can get Battlegrounds new for $36.50 including S&H on Amazon. I bought mine at Toys R Us for $25 when they had a Skylanders sale.

The portal from the iOS starter kit (the one with Battlegrounds) is the only portal currently released that will connect via Bluetooth. It is the only one you can connect to an iPad.

Thanks. That's what I thought, but wanted to check.

What about the other way around? I have the iOS starter kit and would like to use the portal with the PS3. Is this possible?

A big question I have is whats going to happen with the release of the swap force figures in Lost Islands and the portal? For all the other games (Wii, PS3, etc) the portal is being replaced because the current portal will not support the swap force characters. Given this, I dont think the bluetooth portal would either, and I dont see any plans anywhere for a new blutooth portal for iOS devices.

I recently bought one on eBay, paying less than $15 including free shipping. It works like a charm. I won't tell you that every eBay transaction goes just like you want, but if you choose a reputable vendor, there is no reason you can't find a good deal.

Epyon's question about the SWAP force portal is a good one. I suspect that the number of characters/combinations means that the data from the characters is just too different for the old portals to read them properly. It's not the connection method (bluetooth vs ethernet, for instance) but the format of the data. Imagine trying to print all of the international characters using a set of the 26 capital letters for English.

The main reason for the new portal is the actual swap force characters having a new top to go with the bottom. Lost Islands will likely only implement the original characters and will not use all combinations. Wash Buckler will just be Wash Buckler and you won't see the othes.