Let’s be honest Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are the problematic favourites of the Nintendo Switch library.
On one hand, you have the most ambitious, open-ended Pokémon adventure ever conceived. On the other, you have a technical presentation that often feels like it’s being held together by nothing more than hope and a few rolls of electrical tape.
But it’s 2026 now. The Nintendo Switch 2 is sitting on our shelves (or in our hands), and the big question for many of us isn’t just “What’s next?” but “Can the new hardware finally fix the past?”
I’ve spent the last week revisiting Paldea on the new machine, and the results are… well, they’re exactly what we should have had in 2022.
<aside> 💡
Quick note: I had to start from scratch, for some reason. The save wasn’t on the cartridge? Odd, but no worries.
</aside>
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are in my Pokemon pile of shame. Having not finished either of them. Along with Black/White and Black/White 2. I’ve done all other mainline Pokemon games, and I need to see this through.
At least now I can, with fewer excuses.
Smooth Sailing at Last?
The most immediate change is the frame rate. On the original Switch, Casseroya Lake was less of a scenic vista and more of a slideshow.
On the Switch 2, the game targets a stable 60 FPS. While it’s not a perfectly locked experience—you’ll still see the occasional “blip” when the game aggressively loads a new zone. It is night and day compared to the original hardware.
Running through the open fields finally feels fluid, and the input lag that plagued menus and Tera Raids has largely evaporated.
I’m not a bit frame rate guy, truth be told. But when you’re just wanting to look around you in an open world, you do need it to at least feel fluid. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet achieve that now.
Visuals
We aren’t looking at a remaster or anything. But the hardware grunt of the Switch 2 does some heavy lifting. Thanks to the new Handheld Boost Mode (part of the latest 22.0.0 firmware), the blurry, sub-720p mess of the original handheld mode is gone.
Resolution: Docked mode now hits a clean 1080p without the aggressive Dynamic Resolution Scaling (DRS) that used to turn the screen into a bowl of soup.
Draw Distance: This is the real game-changer. Pokémon and NPCs no longer pop into existence five feet in front of your Miraidon. You can actually see Shinies from a distance now, which, let’s face it, is the only reason people are still playing Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.
Textures & Lighting: While the textures are still the same flat assets, the improved lighting and HDR support make the world feel significantly more vibrant. The water reflections in the East Province actually look like water now, rather than a shimmering glitch.
The textures would, of course require development work, and no doubt Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are in the rearview mirror at Game Freak and Nintendo. It would be nice to get a HD texture pack.
Comparison at a Glance
| Feature | Original Switch | Switch 2 (BC Mode) |
|---|---|---|
| Frame Rate | 20-30 FPS (Unstable) | Target 60 FPS (Mostly Stable) |
| Loading Times | 20+ Seconds (Fast Travel) | ~3-5 Seconds |
| Resolution | 720p-1080p (Heavy DRS) | Clean 1080p |
| Pop-in | Severe / Distracting | Significantly Improved |
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
Is it worth going back? If you never finished it, or if you want to play it at it’s best. Then hell yes.
But, the Switch 2 doesn’t magically turn Scarlet and Violet into Horizon Forbidden West. The fundamental design choices, the sparse environments and simple geometry all still remain.
However, it removes the friction. By fixing the loading times (which are now roughly 4x faster) and stabilising the performance, the game finally steps out of its own way.
You can focus on the loop of catching, battling, and exploring without the constant technical struggle of the hardware.
Performance isn’t what made me drop Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, but trying to come back to it a few times, it really hindered me getting back on-board.
If you now have a Switch 2 and a frankly poor Switch 2 lineup to look at. It’s time to give Paldea a second chance. It’s still the same game, just easier to get into and play.
