Summary
The announcement ofPokemon Legends: Z-Aduring the Pokemon Day presentation was a huge moment for the series in several ways. While many fans were hoping to see a new game set in Unova or Johto,Pokemon Legends: Z-Ais arguably a bigger deal since it confirms that thePokemon Legendsseries will continue, and it will likely finally bring the closure to the Kalos Region thatPokemon X and Ywere missing. However, probably the most important part of this new title’s announcement was the release window of 2025, which is vague but could ultimately work out in the game’s favor.
Since the release ofPokemon Sun and Moonin 2016, the series has seen a major release in the form of either new mainline games or DLC for a mainline game every subsequent year. However, withPokemon Legends: Z-Aslated for a 2025 release, it appears as though thePokemonfranchise will not see a major mainline release in 2024. While this might be disappointing for some fans, the wait will likely be worth it since a 2025 launch could mean thatPokemon Legends: Z-Ais coming to the Switch 2, allowing for the technical improvements the franchise desperately needs.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A Could Be Coming to the Switch 2
Although nothing about their next console has been officially confirmed by Nintendo, recent rumors suggest that theSwitch’s successor is planned to launch in March 2025. It’s clear that support for the current Switch console is beginning to wind down, with very few blockbuster titles releasing in 2024, now excluding a mainlinePokemongame as well. Without a concrete release date beyond 2025,Pokemon Legends: Z-Acould be planned to launch alongside the Switch 2 in March 2025, or it might not be released until sometime around the holiday season.
It’s interesting to note thatPokemon’s official channels report that the game is coming to “Nintendo Switch systems,” with the reference to multiple systems potentially implying the game will be released on both the original Switch and the Switch 2. While there aren’t any confirmed details about theSwitch 2’s hardware specifications, reputable leakers have claimed the console will feature support for NVIDIA DLSS 3.5 AI-powered Ray Reconstruction and use a custom NVIDIA chip designed for the system. These rumors are a great sign for the technical performance ofPokemon Legends: Z-Aif it is released on the Switch 2.
How a Switch 2 Release Could Affect Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Technical Performance
ThePokemonfranchise has been in a rough spot with the technical performance of its recent titles, with games likePokemon Scarlet and Violetbecoming infamous for their glitchesand frame rate issues. Despite the glowing praise forPokemon Legends: Arceus, one of the points of criticism it received was its limited graphical fidelity and frame rate. With the improved hardware of the Switch 2, Game Freak will likely be able to deliver a much smoother experience withPokemon Legends: Z-A, which will hopefully make the game a worthy sequel toPokemon Legends: Arceus.
One issuePokemon Legends: Z-Amight have if it is a cross-generation title is running on the original Switch, which could impact the quality of both versions of the game. However, the fact that Game Freak is taking their time with this title and pushing it to 2025 instead of trying to release it this year likely means it is going to be much more polished thanPokemon Legends: Arceus. As such, even if it is still designed to run on an inferior console like the Switch, the extra development time dedicated toPokemon Legends: Z-Awill hopefully mean that the game will make the most of the hardware of whichever system it’s running on.
