Usually, the next gene upgrades of older games are the least exciting with a new consolidation, but Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's are an exception. A variety of performance problems have plagued what is otherwise the most transformative entry into the entire Pokemon series, which holds it back from getting the credit it rightly deserves as the first main line, completely open world pokemon game. Scarlet and Violet represented a gigantic leap forward for Pokemon, but for many, its graphic and image frequency problems made it difficult to enjoy.
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Pokemon Scarlet & Violet gets a 60fps update, but only on Switch 2
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet will be able to meet 60 FPS with its free Switch 2 upgrade, after its first switch release was a technical disaster.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's free Switch 2 update aim to deal with many of the performance problems that held back the games on the original switch, and the boy does. There have been a lot of bucks in recent days about new pictures showing the games running at 60 fps on Switch 2, and after playing it yourself at Pokemon's Us Office this week, Hype is completely motivated. Several upgrades make this version of Scarlet and Violet infinitely more playable, to the point where it would not be unfair to call this an unofficial remaster. This is Scarlet and Violet how they were always intended to be, and fans will be shocked at how good it feels to explore Palda again for the first time.
A checklist of must-have updates
Much of what Scarlet and Violets Switch 2 update have to offer are things you can expect to see in any next gene upgrade. The resolution has been increased to 1080p in the handheld position to take advantage of Switch 2's larger screen, while in a docked position you will receive a crystal clear 1440p resolution. I got to see the game go in real time in both 1440p and 1080p side by side, and the 1440p version looked much sharper. I didn't get the chance to play handkeepers, but I expect a similar noticeable improvement.
The drawing distance has also improved. Environments and Pokemon seem much further away than before, which makes the world feel more engrossing and genuine. Shiny hunters will have a much easier time to scoping out the terrain from the air now, while those of us who just like a nice vista will have more to look at, simply because we can see further than before.
One of the most noticeable changes is the density of wild Pokémon. There is very of pokemon on screen. Sometimes, maybe too many. While exploring the mountainous area east of Mesagoza, it was not uncommon for 15-20 Pokemon to roam together in a cleansing. And while they did nothing but roaming, it was fun to see packaging and crews gathering together. I see a Houndoom with Houndour puppies of all different sizes hanging under a tree next to a group of six goggoats that galloped around, and it gave me the Wildlife Exploration feeling that I have always wanted from Pokémon.
NOTE: You don't want to get stuck in the middle of one of these Pokemon mobs if you don't want to fight every one of them.
I can't say about having denser groups of wild Pokémon increasing the speed that you find shinies, but that is a reason to more pokemon = more shiny pokemon. I am interested in seeing how many ways this update helps to shine hunters when the fans can test.
Really gaming upgrades
Archive all things I have mentioned so far under “Nice to have”. From here we get into the upgrades that really make these versions of Scarlet and Violet completely different games. The first point is, of course, the speed speed. I cannot exaggerate how much locking to a stable 60 improves the experience. The wild fluctuating faint speed in the switch version made Scarlet and Violet frustrating to play, to say it mildly. Even if you did not notice the dips, for many people they still contributed to headache-inducing eye fatigue. Framework frequency is like input delays or audio sinks. You do not notice it when everything is well, but when there is a problem it can ruin the experience completely.
This problem has been practically eliminated from Scarlet and Violet. While you are still experiencing pop-ins both close and long (NPCs, surface structure and pokemon still seem right in front of your face often), you do not have to worry about the jittery, stuttering frame dip which is always at its worst when it is most to look at the screen. It is remarkable how much a stable faint speed makes Scarlet and Violet more fun to play, and it gives the whole experience closer to what we expect from game 2025.
The most important upgrade – and possibly least exciting – is the improvement of charging times on Switch 2. We have all seen the technical exhibition side by side showing how transhipment your rescue after being fired by a dragon in Skyrim is 800 ms faster on Xbox One X, but I say they are 800 ms really matter. Not to get all existential, but it's your time, and you don't get any of it back. A second here and there adds a lot over a 30 -hour playthrough, even if you don't notice it.
In Scarlet and Violet you definitely notice it. Everything in the original version feels like it takes a second or two longer than it should, which really slows down the game's pace. Getting into a RAID fight, terastallize your Pokémon, perform your move and wait for your opponent to attack -there is a load delay built into all these moments that simply are not on the Switch 2 version. It is extremely smooth, lets you spend more time playing and less time waiting.
There is no delay to come in and out of the screens anymore. Fast travel is also almost immediately. Combined with a higher faint speed and longer pull distance, the games just feel so much faster to play now. It is amazing how all these small improvements add to create a whole new experience of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, but no one denies it – this is the version we wish we had played three years ago. You may feel it is too late now, but I say better late than never.
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet get a new start
Game Freak didn't have to do this. Despite what tangled adult fans and chronic online prosecutors have to say about it, this is the best-selling Pokemon games at Switch, and there is no doubt that the next main line will sell tens of millions of copies as well. Game Freak could easily have ignored the criticism and sleeping on her giant Dragonite -high with Poke Gold, but how I see it, it wanted to do the right thing by Pokemon fans with this update. It does not make it okay for Scarlet & Violet to be released in such a sub-pair state, but it definitely helps.
I have to admit, I didn't play this generation at launch. Writing for a game website kept me full of the discourse that surrounded these games at launch, and I saw enough pictures from editing our review and guides to know that I did not have the patience to address the technical issues. Thanks to the Switch 2 update (and my good luck to secure a Switch 2 order), I will finally play Scarlet & Violet, with the entire DLC, in a version that runs and looks fantastic. The patient player wins again, it seems. Although I would argue that someone who is lucky enough to get hold of a Switch 2 this month is a winner. Of all the upcoming launch titles, this is surprising what I am most excited to play.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
2.0/5
- Published
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November 18, 2022
- ESRB
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E for all because of mild imagination violence
- Publisher
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Nintendo, Pokemon Company
- Engine
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Proprietary
