The frame rate drops. The jagged edges. That weird glitch where your Miraidon clips through a mountain and falls into an endless white void. If you’ve spent any time in Paldea, you know the deal. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are brilliant games trapped in hardware that feels like it’s gasping for air.
Naturally, everyone is looking at the horizon.
With the Nintendo Switch 2 (or whatever they end up naming it) officially on the way, the conversation has shifted. It’s no longer about if the games need help. It’s about how a Pokemon Scarlet Violet Switch 2 update could actually fix the mess. We aren't just talking about a slightly faster load time here. We are talking about the potential for a transformative "Enhanced Edition" that brings the Ninth Generation up to the technical standards players expected back in 2022.
The Reality of the Switch 2 Hardware Jump
Nintendo’s next console isn’t just a minor spec bump. Reliable reports from outlets like VGC and Eurogamer, bolstered by supply chain leaks, suggest the new machine will utilize NVIDIA’s DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) technology.
Why does this matter for Pokémon?
Simple. DLSS allows a console to render an image at a lower resolution and use AI to upscale it to 4K. For a game like Scarlet and Violet, which struggles to maintain a steady 30 frames per second at 720p or 1080p, this is the holy grail. Honestly, the thought of seeing the Area Zero crystals without those shimmering, pixelated edges is enough to make any long-time fan hopeful.
The current Switch uses the Tegra X1 chip, which is ancient by modern standards. It’s over a decade old. When you try to run a massive, seamless open world on a mobile chip from 2015, things break. The Pokemon Scarlet Violet Switch 2 update would likely tap into the new console's rumored 12GB of RAM. Compare that to the measly 4GB in the current Switch. That extra memory means the game wouldn't have to constantly "forget" textures and models just to keep the engine from crashing.
Why Game Freak Might Actually Do It
Historically, Game Freak hasn't been big on "Next-Gen Patches." They usually just move on to the next project. However, the Pokémon Company is in a different position now.
Scarlet and Violet have sold over 25 million copies. They are among the best-selling entries in the entire franchise, despite the technical backlash. Leaving that massive player base behind when the new hardware launches would be a massive missed opportunity for engagement.
There's also the "Backward Compatibility" factor.
Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa has confirmed that the Switch's successor will be backward compatible. This means your current cartridge or digital download will work on the new machine. But a game just "working" isn't the same as a game being "optimized." If Nintendo wants to sell the Switch 2 to the casual Pokémon crowd, showing off a version of Scarlet that runs at a buttery smooth 60fps is a very easy win.
What a "Pro" Patch Would Actually Look Like
Don't expect a ground-up remake. That isn't how these things work. Instead, think of it more like the jump we saw with Cyberpunk 2077 on PS4 versus PS5.
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Texture Filtering and Draw Distance
One of the biggest complaints in Paldea is the "pop-in." You’re riding your bike, and suddenly a herd of Tauros appears out of thin air ten feet in front of you. It’s jarring. It ruins the immersion.
A Pokemon Scarlet Violet Switch 2 update could theoretically push that draw distance back significantly. The more powerful CPU in the new hardware can handle the logic for more entities on screen at once. Imagine looking out from the top of Glaseado Mountain and actually seeing Pokémon moving in the forests below, rather than just a blurry green texture.
Resolution and Stability
The game currently uses a dynamic resolution scaler. When things get busy—like during a Tera Raid—the resolution plummets to keep the game from freezing. On the Switch 2, the floor for that resolution would be much higher.
We would likely see:
- Native 1080p in handheld mode.
- 4K upscaling (via DLSS) when docked.
- Stable 30fps at minimum, with a possible "Performance Mode" for 60fps.
It's also worth noting that the "leaked" specs for the Switch 2 suggest it has ray-tracing capabilities. Now, let’s be real. Game Freak isn't going to path-trace a Pokémon game. But better lighting? More realistic reflections in the water around Casseroya Lake? That’s entirely on the table.
Addressing the "Game Freak Laziness" Argument
You’ve seen the tweets. You’ve seen the Reddit threads. There is a vocal part of the community that believes no amount of hardware power can fix a poorly optimized engine.
They have a point.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus and Scarlet/Violet both suffer from architectural issues. The way the games handle memory and "culling" (deciding what to render and what to hide) is fundamentally flawed. If the code is messy, throwing more RAM at it is just putting a band-aid on a broken leg.
However, we’ve seen Nintendo-adjacent developers pull off miracles before. Look at Xenoblade Chronicles 3. That game looks like it shouldn’t even be possible on the Switch. If Game Freak gets support from Nintendo's specialized optimization teams—the folks who help with Zelda or Mario—the Pokemon Scarlet Violet Switch 2 update could be more than just a resolution bump. It could be the definitive version of the game.
The Timeline: When Does This Drop?
The Switch 2 is expected to launch in the latter half of 2024 or early 2025. Typically, Pokémon games follow a very rigid release schedule.
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We know Pokémon Legends: Z-A is coming in 2025. It’s highly likely that Z-A is being built with the new hardware in mind, perhaps acting as a "cross-gen" title. If that’s the case, a patch for Scarlet and Violet would likely arrive alongside the new console's launch to drum up hype.
Think about it. A "Switch 2 Launch Day" update for the current flagship Pokémon titles would be the perfect way to bridge the gap until Gen 10 arrives. It keeps the community active and keeps the competitive VGC (Video Game Championships) scene looking professional on stream. Nobody likes watching a competitive match where the background NPCs are moving at two frames per second.
Surprising Details You Might Have Missed
There is a small but significant detail in the The Indigo Disk DLC. Some data miners found that certain textures and models in the DLC areas are actually higher quality than those in the base game, but they are downscaled aggressively to run on the current Switch.
This suggests that the assets already exist.
Game Freak didn't necessarily build the game with low-quality assets; they just had to crush them down to make the game playable. A Pokemon Scarlet Violet Switch 2 update wouldn't require the artists to redraw everything. They would simply need to "unlock" the assets that are already sitting in the game files.
What This Means for Your Save Data
Good news here. Nintendo has been very consistent with cloud saves and account-based transfers lately. If you’ve spent 500 hours shiny hunting or building a perfect competitive team, you won't lose it.
The update would be a software patch. You’d log into your Switch 2, download your save from the cloud, and the console would recognize that it’s running on the new hardware. It would then trigger the high-performance assets. No "Remastered" purchase required—at least, we hope. Given Nintendo's history, they might try to sell a "Complete Edition" with all the DLC on the cartridge, but a free patch for existing owners is the industry standard for "next-gen" upgrades.
Actionable Insights for Players
If you are holding off on playing the DLC or finishing your Pokédex because the performance is too distracting, you have a few options right now.
First, don't sell your physical copies. If an update happens, those cartridges will be your ticket to the enhanced version without rebuying the game. Second, if you are playing on the current hardware, try to play the game installed on the system memory rather than a slow SD card; it doesn't fix the frame rate, but it can slightly help with texture loading speeds.
Lastly, keep an eye on the Pokémon Presents events. Any official news regarding a Pokemon Scarlet Violet Switch 2 update will happen there. Usually, these occur in February (Pokémon Day) or August. Given the timing of the Switch 2, a late-year announcement is the most probable window for seeing Paldea in its full, un-glitched glory.
For now, we wait. The potential is there. The hardware is coming. Paldea deserves to look as good as it plays, and the Switch 2 is the only way that's going to happen.
Key Takeaways for the Future of Paldea
- Hardware Bottlenecks: The current Switch’s Tegra X1 chip is the primary reason for the game's poor performance, not just "bad coding."
- DLSS is the Game-Changer: AI upscaling on the Switch 2 could bring the game to a crisp 4K without destroying the frame rate.
- Backward Compatibility: Your current progress is safe, and the game will likely receive a "Pro" patch rather than a paid remaster.
- Texture "Unlocking": High-quality assets already exist in the game files; the new console just needs the power to display them.
- Release Timing: Expect news on the update to coincide with the official Switch 2 hardware reveal or the launch of Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
The move to the next generation isn't just about new games. It's about fixing the ones we already love. Scarlet and Violet have the heart; they just need the lungs to breathe.