The Pokémon Company International (TPCI) recently invited Serebii.net to its headquarters for an exclusive 75-minute hands-on session with the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Switch 2 version, running on what is understood to be a final version of the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 hardware.

Serebii shared a video with 8 minutes of footage right here:

Reminder: The Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Switch 2 version is a 100% free update for anyone who purchased the games on the original Switch.

Vibrant colors, HDR, and improved water body reflections

Right from the start, the visual enhancements are striking. Colors are noticeably more vibrant, and reflections look brilliant, with light bouncing left and right of different surfaces. Most of the footage has been recorded without HDR due to recording resolution constraints, but the in-game colors look even better with HDR turned on.

Pokémon models themselves have never looked better. Most objects visible in the distance now render at their proper resolution and polygon count, and the jarring visual transitions when zooming in between high and low polygon models are now gone. 

However, the visual overhaul is equally applied everywhere. Texture work on the overworld, for instance, has not seen significant improvement compared to the original Nintendo Switch version. While the visuals are largely impressive, they are not perfect; the game still suffers from occasional pop-in, especially when moving quickly through an area on Koraidon.

Scarlet and Violet run at 60 FPS on the Switch 2

Performance sees one of the most substantial upgrades. The framerate now targets a stable 60 FPS across all areas of the game on the Nintendo Switch 2, including some of the most notoriously problematic areas from the original Switch version. Impressively, the game did not suffer from noticeable frame drops even during a full Terra Raid Battle.

While it’s not a completely locked framerate, with occasional, minor drops to 55 DPS, particularly in biomes dense with foliage, these instances are rare not noticeable in normal gameplay. Setting aside the technicalities, the game feels much improved—almost unbelievably so. Any lingering performance issues are so minimal that one would need to pay very close attention to spot them.

This enhanced performance translates to a game that runs on a whole different level. The exceptionally smooth gameplay invites players to explore and roam the vast landscapes of Paldea with newfound fluidity. The resolution has also been improved, with the game rendering between 1080p and 2160p, offering compatibility even with 4K TVs.

The game supports dynamic resolution, and outputs to higher resolutions by upscaling and antialiasing. Antialiasing effectively smooths out jagged edges, contributing to the cleaner visual output.

We recommend this comparison by IGN to see how much different the game looks on the Switch 1 and Switch 2:

Faster loading times and more Pokémon in the wild

Beyond the core graphics and performance, other changes significantly enrich the gameplay. The Pokémon spawn radius has been considerably expanded, making it easier to spot Pokémon in the wild, even from much further away. It roughly seems that the radius has doubled, as Serebii mentions going from around 15 to over 30 Pokémon at a given moment.

This enhancement makes the world feel more vibrant and alive, giving it a more lived-in feeling as players are able to observe Pokémon in their natural habitats—an experience not previously possible to this extent.

Loading times have been dramatically improved across the board. Travel between flight points is often under two seconds, down from the 8 seconds on the original Switch. Even more impressive are larger area transitions, which typically range from just two to four seconds, down from 20 seconds on the original Switch!

While this can be influenced by SD card performance, it represents a massive improvement compared to the original Nintendo Switch. The game’s menus, especially the often-criticized Box menu, have been significantly sped up and refined.

Parting words

Unfortunately for those accustomed to the original, as is often the case with high refresh rate screens and significantly improved hardware, once you experience Pokémon Scarlet and Violet on the Nintendo Switch 2, it is very hard—almost impossible—to go back to the original version. The game simply soars on the new hardware, making it feel like this is the version that was always planned, rather than the often issue-riddled experience on the original Nintendo Switch.

We hope this performance and graphic fidelity continues with other upcoming Pokémon titles on the Switch 2. The Switch 2 update for Scarlet and Violet is completely free for everyone who purchased the game for the Switch 1.

We look forward to hearing your reactions – find us on social media, there is often a solid discussion going on in the comments section.

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