The excitement surrounding the upcoming release ofPokemon Legends: Z-Amay be tempered somewhat by the rumor that the game will not be designed specifically for the Switch 2. WhenPokemon Legends: Z-Awas first announced for a 2025 release, many assumed it would launch for Nintendo’s new console slated to release the same year. However, new reports suggestLegends: Z-Amay be released with the original Switch in mind, following a common pattern for the series.
According to a recentrumor regarding the company’s Pokemon Day presentation plans,Pokemon Legends: Z-Awill be the focus of the event, but the game is allegedly planned to be released for the original Switch, not the Switch 2. While the Switch 2 will still be able to run the game thanks to its backward compatibility, some fans are disappointed by the fact that it won’t be designed to natively run on the new console’s more powerful hardware. This isn’t the first time thePokemonseries has released a game on older hardware after a new console has dropped, marking the continuation of a recent series trend.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A Potentially Missing Switch 2 Optimizations is Disappointing, But Not Surprising
Pokemon Games Have a History of Lagging Behind New Console Releases
LongtimePokemonfans are likely aware of the series' near-annual release schedule, but that schedule hasn’t always lined up with the release of Nintendo consoles in a convenient way. There have been instances in the past where a new console has already been released, but the latestPokemongame ends up releasing on the previous generation’s hardware.
Pokemon Black 2 and White 2are the most obvious examples, released on the DS nearly a year after the 3DS was launched. The first mainline 3DSPokemongames weren’t released until2013 withPokemon X and Y, two years after the 3DS' release. A similar situation happened in 2017, whenPokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moonwere released for the 3DS only a few months after the Switch launched, and the series wouldn’t see its first mainline release on the Switch until 2018 with the release ofPokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee.
AlthoughPokemon Legends: Z-Ais set to be the firstPokemongame of the Switch 2 era, it has yet to be seen what the firstPokemongame designed specifically for the new console will be. It’s possible that the franchise will take a page out of the previous console generation’s book and releaseGen 2Pokemon Let’s Gogames, or the persistent rumors of Gen 5 remakes could manifest on the new console as well. Whatever the case may be, the trend that the series is currently following makes it seem likePokemonGen 10 will still be a couple of years away.
Thankfully,Pokemon Legends: Z-Awill still be playable on the Switch 2due to the new console’s backward compatibility, even if it is largely designed for the original Switch. Much like howBlack 2 and White 2were technically playable on the 3DS while being designed for the original DS,Legends: Z-Amay not take full advantage of the new hardware’s potential. Even still,Pokemon Legends: Z-A shouldbe a great game to fill the gap between the current Switch’sPokemongame line-up and the first true Switch 2Pokemonexperience.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A
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Pokémon Legends: Z-A is an ambitious new entry to the Pokémon video game series, releasing simultaneously worldwide in 2025. A new adventure awaits within Lumiose City, where an urban redevelopment plan is underway to shape the city into a place that belongs to both people and Pokémon.
