Enhanced by Technical Upgrades, Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Shine on Nintendo Switch 2

I’m going to be honest right from the start—games these days, man, they’re all over the place with how they run. Take the OG release of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet on the Nintendo Switch. Seriously, it’s like… why did it have to be this way? Great game, but the performance? Total dumpster fire. I’ve seen worse, sure—some games are absolute trainwrecks—but this one was, you know, disappointing. It’s like seeing your favorite athlete fumble at the Olympics.

Back in 2022, I had a lot to say. “Super-effective new vision,” I called it. But then, you’d look at those glitchy windmills and think, “Is this some kind of cruel joke?” And the cliffs—no joke—they looked like they time-traveled from a Nintendo 64 game. It’s almost funny, but not really. Scarlet & Violet deserved better, and now, I guess dreams do come true because Switch 2 is rolling in with some major upgrades.

So, I got this invite from The Pokémon Company. Yep, the folks who are usually all hush-hush let me see what the Switch 2 patch is all about. Honestly, I was pretty vocal about the original performance. (Okay, maybe I ranted a little.) So, them inviting me was, you know, kind of a big deal.

Once I saw it—whoa. Night and day difference. If you’ve ever thought frame rate wasn’t a big deal, I dare you to try the Switch 2 version and then go back to the old one. Seriously, do it. It’s like eating a gourmet meal and then going back to canned soup.

The clarity now? It’s ridiculous. Like a crisp high-def dream. Finally, running at 60fps, give or take, and thank the heavens, those windmill ghosts have been exorcised. Not bragging (okay, maybe a little), but this ain’t just about showing off. The feel of the game—how it flows—is a whole new world. Think of those sprawling open worlds, like, you know, Skyrim or Breath of the Wild, all packed into a Pokémon game. It’s what it always wanted to be, minus those nausea-inducing frame dips.

Now the gameplay bounces. Pokémon are poppin’ up in greater numbers, roaming like they own the place. No more weird stuttering when you encounter one. The menus—finally—snap to life like they’ve chugged a double espresso. Your Pokémon Box? Icons practically leap out at you. Tiny tweaks—a gazillion little fixes—that add up to a way better experience.

Okay, not everything’s rainbows and butterflies. Sure, the detail settings go a bit overboard—yeah, flowers magically appear as you dash through—but who’s perfect, right? And nothing against the art style, but now that everything runs smoothly, it’s like, hey, maybe it needs a bit of a glow-up. HDR helps, though. Makes Paldea look like a watercolor dream.

So yeah, overall, nailed it. Finally, this is what Scarlet & Violet was meant to be. Is it the most technically sound Pokémon game ever? You decide. Playing 3D Pokémon at 60fps—it’s almost like you’re getting away with something. But this is it, folks. Now they’re running smooth, and my hopes for Pokémon Legends Z-A are through the roof. Excited much? You bet.