Pokemon Scarlet, Violet on Switch 2 Paint a Bright Picture for Gen 10

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet brought the ninth generation of the Pokemon franchise to the forefront back when they were released in 2022. With the promise of a massive open-world and multiple storylines, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet were incredibly ambitious titles that unfortunately saw their best intentions go bad. Upon release, these games were plagued by performance issues and an overall lack of polish on the Nintendo Switch, cutting into what could’ve been one of the best entries in the Pokemon franchise to date.

Thankfully, the release of Nintendo’s latest console, the Nintendo Switch 2, has brought some major improvements to these Pokemon games. Thanks to a free update, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet now play far better than they ever did before on Nintendo’s last-generation machine, and it finally feels like these games are unlocking the potential that they once showed when they were first announced. With the improvements the Switch 2 has brought to these Pokemon games, this is a fantastic sign for what is to come when the 10th generation of Pokemon is ready to go.

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Pokemon Scarlet And Violet’s Switch 2 Improvements Make Gen 10 More Exciting

Pokemon Scarlet And Violet Are Far Better On The Switch 2

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet‘s new free Switch 2 update feels like a massive improvement over the original game, mostly for the fact that it fixes the game’s previous performance issues. Unlike the original versions on the previous Switch, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet now run at a smooth 60 fps on the Switch 2. This is apparent throughout the entire game, and there are no major frame rate drops to speak of when exploring the open world, battling wild Pokemon, or engaging in Tera Battles.

The Switch 2 update to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet also features other major improvements, as Pokemon spawns are much more plentiful this time around on the new system. This means that the open world feels far more alive and populated than it did on the original Switch version, and the vastly improved loading times when fast-traveling speak to the system’s much stronger hardware.

Across the board, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is a wholesale improvement over its original release, and the Switch 2 version feels like the version of the game players should have received back in 2022.

Pokemon Gen 10 Should Avoid Scarlet And Violet’s Launch Woes On The Switch 2

With the fact that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet now play so much better on the Nintendo Switch 2, the next generation of Pokemon titles should be in for a massive growth compared to these ones. This free update to the past games shows that the Switch 2 is a much better console, so much so that it can improve a game from the past generation to an incredible degree. With that in mind, the next Pokemon game will be built from the ground up with the Switch 2, which means it will presumably be a tenfold improvement over this updated version of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

Pokemon fans will already have a good idea of what else the Switch 2 can do for the franchise later this year, as Pokemon Legends: Z-A will be releasing with a Nintendo Switch 2 version in October. While initially announced for release on the original Switch, the enhanced port coming to the Switch 2 will also offer 60 FPS gameplay, providing a far smoother experience than what players will be offered on the previous hardware.

Pokemon Gen 10 Deserves To Have Its Time To Cook

The most important thing that Game Freak and The Pokemon Company will need to ensure with the next generation of Pokemon is that the games take their time to develop. Even though the Switch 2 is far more capable than the current Switch, and the next game will likely look and play far better on the system, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s rushed release dates were a major factor in their poor performances on the Switch. The next Pokemon games must take their time to cook to ensure that they don’t fall into the same trap that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet did.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet‘s Nintendo Switch 2 version is a vast improvement over the original game, almost to the point where the game has received a light remaster rather than a mere free update. The way that a simple update can improve these poor-performing games on the Switch 2 is fantastic news for the next mainline Pokemon titles, as they will be built from the start for the Switch 2, which should lead to much-improved gameplay. Here’s hoping the next generation of Pokemon titles lives up to its promise, and here’s hoping the Switch 2’s hardware helps it avoid the pratfalls of Scarlet and Violet’s launch.