Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are among the lowest-rated mainline Pokemon games on Metacritic, and it is largely due to the graphics performance issues that both fans and critics are complaining about. Blame has been cast in many directions, including toward the Nintendo Switch's hardware. While Pokemon Scarlet and Violet present ambitious ideas, perhaps it would take a more powerful Switch to fully realize what developers had in mind.
A Nintendo Switch 2 would help not just Pokemon, but also other ambitious franchises such as The Legend of Zelda that push Nintendo hardware to its limits. Although there have been rumors of a Switch successor swirling about, nothing official has been announced yet. However, after five years of being on the market, it wouldn't be too early for a Switch 2.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Performance Issues
Scarlet and Violet have launched, and plenty of gamers have jumped into the adventure. Gamers are taken to the Paldea region where they befriend Nemona, enroll in an academy, and learn about the Terastal phenomenon. There is plenty to appreciate from the games, as they bring plenty of new features that make it easier than ever for new players to jump into the franchise. Auto-battles make it easier to level up a team and collect items while the TM machine simplifies the process of teaching Pokemon new moves.
Despite all these innovations, there have been several complaints surrounding the new games. Most of them are concerned with their performance. From the first few minutes, players are liable to experience unstable framerates and the camera clipping through objects. Oftentimes, trees will pop in and out of existence at odd times, and NPCs will even walk through each other. The problems aren't limited to performance, however. Players have also criticized Scarlet and Violet's graphics and animations, which appear quite lackluster at times. For instance, when players eat a sandwich, there is no animation of the player actually biting the sandwich. When the player's character makes the biting motion, the sandwich remains behind the character, and the sandwich never goes into the character's mouth.
Some of these issues have been blamed on Game Freak simply not putting the same passion it once did into Pokemon titles or the Pokemon Company rushing the game to release, rather than allowing a delay. However, it could also be argued that developers have their hands tied because they are dealing with aged hardware that is holding them back. Perhaps the ideas of Scarlet and Violet were too large for the Switch, and a successor is necessary.
Is It Time For a Switch 2?
The Switch's weak hardware has caused problems for third-party ports such as The Outer Worlds. However, gamers have always been able to rest assured that Nintendo's first-party games will have impeccable quality. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are testing that notion, which may be a sign that it is time for a Nintendo Switch successor. It is also worth considering future ambitious titles still coming to the Switch, including The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which will also test the hybrid console's hardware. How well future games perform will give further indication of how necessary a new Switch is.
Although there have been complaints, plenty of gamers are still enjoying their adventure in Paldea. With three separate Scarlet and Violet storylines available, players can choose how their story unfolds. Though performance issues may dampen the experience, some problems may not be permanent. With a few patches and updates, they will hopefully be gone in the weeks and months to come.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available on Nintendo Switch.