If you were concerned about mandatory motion controls while playing Game Freak’s Pokemon Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee! on the Switch, you’re in luck… sort of. Speaking to IGN, a Nintendo representative confirmed that motion controls and physical gestures aren’t needed in handheld mode.
“Pokémon Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee! do not require players to use motion controls or physical gestures when in Handheld Mode. Instead, players can use the joystick on the left Joy-Con controller to aim and press the A button to throw a Poké Ball. The simulated throwing motion associated with the Joy-Con controllers or Poké Ball Plus are intended to enhance the gameplay experience, but are not required to play these games.”
Here’s where things get a bit complicated though. When encountering Pokemon, all you need to do is choose the Poke Ball and press A to throw it. The camera can be moved during an encounter with the left joystick. Motion controls aren’t necessary for all this, but the Switch is moved while in handheld mode, then motion controls will activate.
The camera will thus move as well. The only way to prevent this is by keeping the Switch flat on the table. It’s definitely stranger than it sounds in practice. Still, at least the majority of the game can be played on the go without much fuss, right?
Pokemon Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee! arrive on November 16th for the Nintendo Switch.