Shared by Universo Nintendo editor Felipe Lima on BlueSky, new gameplay showcases Pokemon Scarlet and Violet running on the Nintendo Switch 2 following a recently released updated, with 60 FPS gameplay on full display. Given how widely the RPG duo’s frame rates were criticizing upon launch back in 2022 (among a host of other technical issues), this performance bump comes as a pleasant surprise. Check out the gameplay clip below.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is due out worldwide on June 5. Other Nintendo titles to receive free upgrades for the Switch 2 include Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, and others.

// Pokémon Scarlet & VioletNintendo divulga primeiro clipe de gameplay do jogo após o patch rodando no Nintendo Switch 2

— Necro Felipe • Universo Nintendo (@necro.universonintendo.com) 2025-06-02T15:03:08.400Z

As reported by Famitsu, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have now collectively sold over 8.3 million units in Japan. That’s significant because it means they’re now the highest selling Pokemon games in Japan to date, a crown that had until now been held by the series’ debut outing, Pokemon Red and Green, since they released in Japan all the way back in 1996.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s are available on Nintendo Switch. Their global sales stand at 25.69 million units as of September 30, placing the pair fourth in the series’ global sales rankings. The series’ next major outing is scheduled for sometime in 2025 in the form of Pokemon Legends: Z-A.

In our review of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, awarding the duo a score of 7/10, we said, “Ugly visuals and an all around lack of polish detract from what is an incredibly strong, compelling, and well designed core adventure, one that represents the series’ strongest outing in a very long time otherwise.” Read the full review through here.

As reported by Serebii (owner of the popular Pokemon website of the same name) on ResetEra, Pokemon Sword and Shield took a little under three years to reach the same milestone. Within its first 16 to 17 months, it sold 21.85 million.

When considering lifetime sales, Pokemon Red, Green, and Blue are still ahead with 31.38 million units sold. Pokemon Sword and Shield is in second place, with current sales at 26.35 million, while Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is in third. Not bad for a title criticized at launch for its extensive technical issues.

The next title in the franchise is Pokemon Legends: Z-A, out in 2025 and set entirely in Lumiose City from Pokemon X and Y’s Kalos region. With Nintendo indicating a launch for Nintendo Switch “systems,” it could launch alongside the console’s successor. Head here for more details on the latter.

Other noteworthy figures include Super Smash Bros. Ultimate at 34.66 million sales, followed by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild at 32.05 million and Super Mario Odyssey at 28.21 million. Among the recent releases are The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom at 20.80 million, which launched in May 2023.

Despite impressive figures over their respective lifetimes, Nintendo noted a 41.3 percent decrease in software sales for the first quarter of the fiscal year 2025. It sold 30.64 million software units for the Switch in that period, citing a lack of “special factors” compared to the same quarter last year.

Check out the top ten best-selling Nintendo Switch titles as of June 30th below, courtesy of Nintendo’s official site.

The RPG duo has now sold 24.36 million units worldwide as of December 31 (up from 23.23 million units as of the end of the preceding quarter). That means Scarlet and Violet have now overtaken the lifetime sales of Pokemon Gold and Silver (23.7 million units sold), making them the third-highest selling Pokemon games of all time.

In second place are fellow Switch duo Pokemon Sword and Shield, which have sold 26.17 million units as of December 31, while the series’ first outing in Pokemon Red, Green, and Blue still ranks No. 1, having sold over 31 million units.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet launched for the Switch in November 2022 (read our review through here), and in 2023, received two DLC episodes in the form of The Hidden Area of Treasue Zero Part 1: The Teal Mask in September and Part 2: The Indigo Disk in December. An epilogue episode launched last month.

Nintendo has announced updates sales numbers for a number of other first-party titles, including The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Super Mario RPG, Pikmin 4, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The company has also revealed that the Switch has surpassed 139 million units sold worldwide.

Many have assumed that we’re unlikely to see any significant improvements from Pokemon’s technical side of things anytime soon, not least because none of those issues have had any impact on how the games sell, with Sword and Shield having sold over 26 million units, and Scarlet and Violet currently at 23.2 million copies sold. According to journalist Andy Robinson of VGC, however, that’s not the case.

Taking to Twitter, Robinson recently claimed that based on what he has heard, The Pokemon Company hasn’t glossed over the criticism Pokemon Scarlet and Violet received, and that it’s working to address the same with future releases.

“From what I’ve heard, TPC has taken the response to S/V seriously and is acting on it for future production.,” he wrote.

In August last year, The Pokemon Company chief operating officer Takato Utsunomiya said that the company has waving internal discussions about how best to balance maintaining a regular cadence of new Pokemon releases while ensuring that they hit higher levels of quality. Read more on that through here.

In our review of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, giving a score of 7/10, we said, “Ugly visuals and an all-around lack of polish detract from what is an incredibly strong, compelling, and well-designed core adventure, one that represents the series’ strongest outing in a very long time otherwise.” Read the full review through here.

From what I’ve heard, TPC has taken the response to S/V seriously and is acting on it for future production. https://t.co/FlrZ42WCJn

— Andy Robinson (@Andy_VGC) January 25, 2024

As recent datamining leaks had suggested, The Pokemon Company and Nintendo have announced an epilogue for the expansion. The conclusion to The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero will take players back to the Land of Kitakami, which is where The Teal Mask was set, though further details are unknown. Will we see new Pokemon? How long will the epilogue be? All of that remains to be seen (though the aforementioned leaks did suggest new Pokemon are around the corner).

The epilogue to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet: The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero will be available on January 11, 2024. Until then, you can check out its announcement trailer below.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available on Nintendo Switch.

Pokemon from previous titles return, and you can also teach Koraidon or Miraidon how to fly. The latter requires completing Amarys’s Elite Trial and is only temporary, but a permanent option awaits later. There’s also the Synchro Machine, where players can see the world through a Pokemon’s eyes. You can explore and battle with them, providing a new perspective on the series’ formula.

Finally, along with snacks that used to encounter Legendary Pokemon in Paldea, there’s also a new nineteenth Tera Type to discover, but further details are being kept a secret. The Expansion Pass retails for $34.99 and includes Part 1: The Teal Mask – head here for more. You can also read our review for the base game.

It allows players to synchronize with a Pokemon and play from their perspective, including participating in battles. Another new feature is the ability to fly, with Koraidon and Miraidon earning this temporarily after completing the Elite Trial from Amarys. You have to progress further in the story for permanent flight, though.

Finally, there’s Snacksworth, who appears at Blueberry after completing the story. If you complete Blueberry Quests, you receive snacks. These can be used to meet specific Legendary Pokemon.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet – The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero Part 2: The Indigo Disk launches on December 14th for Nintendo Switch. It’s included with the Expansion Pass for $34.999.

Blueberry Academy focuses on Pokemon battles as players explore the Terrarium and its four biomes. Each artificial environment offers different Pokemon to fight and capture, which includes several returning Pokemon not present in the base game. Once players have cut their teeth, they can challenge the Blueberry League’s Elite Four. Perhaps a new Champion awaits as well.

Stay tuned for more details and gameplay ahead of the DLC’s launch. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available on Nintendo Switch. Check out our review of the base game here. The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero costs $34.99 – head here for more details on Part 1: The Teal Mask.

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