Original Nintendo Switch titles Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will see significant upgrades on Switch 2 via a free update.
The team at Pokémon news website Serebii were invited to The Pokémon Company International’s headquarters for an exclusive 75-minute hands-on demonstration. Webmaster Joe Merrick uploaded a video reporting his experience with the update, which also includes footage of the updated game in action.
Merrick explained that the games have seen some graphical improvements, and now include HDR support.
“The colors are more vibrant even without HDR, the light bounces off the water better, and the Pokémon models have never looked better,” he said.
The original Switch versions were known to have some performance issues, which Merrick explained seem to have been largely fixed on Switch 2. The Artazon Windmill is animated at a more stable frame rate, as are objects, people, and Pokémon when seen from a distance. Particle effects also seem to be enhanced.
There are still some visual limitations as there don’t appear to be improvements in the textures across the Paldea overworld, and there are still sometimes instances of graphical pop-in.
The frame rate, however, has seen a significant upgrade, with the Switch 2 capable of 60 frames per second (compared to the original Switch’s 30). This is consistent across all areas, including Casseroya Lake, which was formerly one of the most troublesome areas.
Merrick recalled: “I was able to jump off a cliff overlooking the lake, land in the water, and rush through past dozens of Pokémon, all in the rain. And the frame was steady at 60 frames per second. It was such a wild thing to see.”
Besides performance, there is also a notable gameplay tweak with increased Pokémon spawn rates. While the previous version was locked at around 15 Pokémon spawning at one time, Merrick reported counting over 30 onscreen.
“This increased spawn radius has made the world of Paldea feel more alive,” he said.
“And not just because you’re going to see more varied spawns at any time, but because due to the distance, you can see the ecology of Pokémon more.”
The game’s load times are also much faster, with flight between different areas appearing much more rapid than before.
“This gets even more noticeable when you fly between Paldea and Kitakami or the Blueberry Academy,” Merrick explained.
“On the Nintendo Switch, this took up to and over 20 seconds. But on our test on the Nintendo Switch 2, this took just three seconds, which is a massive improvement.”
Icons also loads much faster in the Pokémon Box menus, and there is no longer any delay between changing your character’s costumes.
Merrick’s overall experience with the update was very positive, and believes this may be, by far, the definitive way to play Scarlet and Violet.
“It’s such a smooth and pleasant experience that almost feels too good to be true,” he said.
“This needs to be played to be believed.”
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet originally launched on Nintendo Switch in 2023. Nintendo Wire gave the game a positive review, stating: “When it does embrace growth, and maintains signature aspects in new ways, it does shine as the blend of past and future this duo aims to be.”
Nintendo Switch 2 will launch worldwide on June 5th.
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Written by Reece Heather
A lifelong Nintendo fan and a longtime editor at Zelda Universe, Reece will forever be grateful that he somehow dodged the Naughty List of Christmas 1998, when Santa delivered the life-changing gift of a Nintendo 64 with Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, and Mario Kart 64. When he's not playing games, Reece is usually reading Punisher comics, delving helplessly into the weirdest depths of anime and manga, or spending time with his cocker spaniel Gracie -- the goodest girl ever!
