Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are set to release on November 18, and many fans are extremely excited to begin exploring the Paldea region. In fact, some players may want to start their time with these games as soon as it is possible to do so, and these fans be interested in learning the exact time that they will unlock. It with that in mind that this guide is being written, and players can find details on the release time for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet in what follows.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: Expected Unlock Time
Standard operating procedure is that Nintendo Switch games that have both a digital and physical release unlock at 9pm PST the night before the release date. Since Pokemon Scarlet and Violet match that description, players should expect to have access to the digital versions of these games at 9pm PST on Thursday, November 17. For those players that do not live on the West Coast, here is that expected release time converted for the other time zones in the United States:
- MST: 10pm on November 17
- CST: 11pm on November 17
- EST: 12am on November 18
While players wait for these release times to arrive, they may want to confirm that they have some space on their Nintendo Switch consoles. More specifically, fans will need around 7 GB of space in order to download Pokemon Scarlet or Violet, and another 1 GB will be required for an update that is to be made available on release day.
Fans may also want to spend some time thinking about which of the starters they will select at the beginning of their journeys. Indeed, picking a new starter is always a big decision, and this time around fans will be choosing between Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly. Notably, the final evolutions of the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet starters have recently leaked online, and those designs may be of interest to fans that are not adverse to spoilers.
Finally, players may want to do a bit of research on the differences between Pokemon Scarlet and Violet in preface of the release time. Indeed, there are several version-exclusive Pokemon in the Paldea region, which may be worth considering when deciding which version of the game to purchase. Additionally, each version has its own professor, academy, and uniform, and while those elements should not have a dramatic impact on gameplay, they will still be important to some fans.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet release on November 18 for Nintendo Switch.