Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Receive Major Performance Boost on Switch 2: Digital Foundry Analysis

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, the latest mainline entries in The Pokémon Company’s blockbuster RPG franchise, have undergone a significant transformation on the Nintendo Switch 2, according to a thorough technical review conducted by Digital Foundry.

Developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, the ninth-generation Pokémon titles originally launched for the Nintendo Switch in November 2022 amid widespread criticism over performance issues and visual shortcomings.

With the recent hardware leap, fans can finally experience these titles with a dramatically improved presentation and gameplay fluidity. Digital Foundry’s review highlights a substantial overhaul in performance for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet on the Nintendo Switch 2.

The two games, notorious at launch for suboptimal frame rates and inconsistent visual quality, now benefit from enhanced stability and sharper graphics.

As outlined in Digital Foundry’s analysis, the games now render at a steady 1080p internal resolution, eliminating much of the shimmering and aliasing seen on the original Switch.

On modern 4K television displays, the visuals "hold up well," delivering a cleaner overall image than previously possible. Frame rates have also received a substantial boost, with Pokémon Scarlet and Violet now running at a consistent 60 frames per second in most gameplay scenarios—more than doubling the sub-30 fps average often recorded on the original Nintendo Switch hardware.

While some minor dips may occur during densely populated or complex scenes, the difference in perceived smoothness is described as "night and day" by Digital Foundry’s team.

This leap in performance extends to in-game animation: distant trainers, objects, and even the game’s famously problematic windmills now move fluidly, replacing the previous stuttering, low-frame-rate animations that detracted from immersion on the earlier platform. Rapid improvements are evident in load times as well.

Fast travel, once a potentially frustrating wait of up to 15 seconds, now typically completes in just 3 to 4 seconds on the Switch 2.

This delivers a more seamless gameplay experience and encourages player exploration.

The update may be partially attributed to advancements in upscaling technology, with Digital Foundry suggesting the likely integration of Nvidia’s DLSS, though this has not been officially confirmed. According to Digital Foundry, certain legacy limitations persist.

Draw distance and object pop-in remain largely unchanged between hardware generations.

Additionally, Pokémon do not maintain their on-screen presence after players leave and revisit areas, a design choice kept from the previous version.

Nevertheless, these issues are outweighed by the array of performance and quality-of-life enhancements present on the new console. Ultimately, this update delivers the much-needed technical improvements Pokémon fans have long called for, transforming Scarlet and Violet into significantly more enjoyable experiences on Nintendo’s latest system.

While texture quality and environmental detail still have room for refinement, the leap in playability and overall smoothness makes the Switch 2 version a standout upgrade.

As the Digital Foundry review concludes, experienced Pokémon fans and newcomers alike should not miss out on revisiting these games with the benefits of Nintendo’s next-generation hardware.

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