Pokémon fans are in an uproar over Scarlet and Violet’s performance and lacking features

The game is not performing well on the Nintendo Switch.
Screenshot by Gamepur

The Pokémon series has been known not to be the most technically demanding video game in the industry. However, players not getting their chance to play Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, and there are a lot of problems with it. Players are fed up with the game’s performance, how it looks, and the overall limitations of the gameplay, especially with the first mainline open-world version.

Recommended Videos

Today is the first official release day for Scarlet and Violet. Some players have had the chance to play it in certain timezones, and streamers have shown off various forms of the gameplay. Unfortunately, even though Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is a Nintendo-published game, the console’s technical limitations appear to be showing, and the game falters in multiple ways.

Related: The Pokémon community expresses disappointment in the lack of hairstyle inclusivity in Scarlet and Violet

The problems include slow performance while traveling, rough background animations and attacks, especially in larger cities, buildings that are non-explorable for most of the game, easy gameplay, lack of customization, and much more. A regretful Scarlet and Violet player shares their concerns on Reddit in a thread titled “Enough is Enough”, along with several others sharing they plan to purchase the game after a performance update.

One of the largest problems expressed in Scarlet and Violet reviews was the game’s technical limitations. This continues to spread through the community, and we can see the problems with the game when we struggle to move down at a hill at a reliable framerate.

The Pokémon Company has been slow to expand the franchise forward, with the biggest step happening with the Pokémon Legends: Arceus game, where catching and finding Pokémon in the wild didn’t require battles, and sneaking was valid to catch them. Many of these newer features are in Scarlet and Violet, but the game still feels 10 years old, and the outdated graphics shared on various social media posts tell the full story, which remains the biggest weakness of any Pokémon game.

We’d like to see this be a moment for The Pokémon Company to reflect on how it can build up the series from here. The catching and battling mechanics feel like a step in the right direction, but a lot more needs to be done for the graphics and to make these games feel like modern entries.


Gamepur is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more
related content
Read Article Stardew Valley 1.6 Update Release Date Announced on Game’s Anniversary
Stardew Valley 1.6 Update Release Date Confirmed
Read Article Pokemon Go Teases New Season and Fans Are Confused
Pokemon GO World of Wonders Season
Read Article Pokemon Go Tour Bonus Gift Leaves Fans Hilariously Underwhelmed
Pokemon Go Tour Bonus Gift Code Redemption
Read Article Fans Make Pokemon Day Bingo Cards To Share Their Outrageous Predictions
Pokemon Day 2024 Predictions Bingo
Read Article Helldivers 2 Fans Debate Unfair Negative Review Situation on Steam
mixed reviews helldivers 2 featured image
Related Content
Read Article Stardew Valley 1.6 Update Release Date Announced on Game’s Anniversary
Stardew Valley 1.6 Update Release Date Confirmed
Read Article Pokemon Go Teases New Season and Fans Are Confused
Pokemon GO World of Wonders Season
Read Article Pokemon Go Tour Bonus Gift Leaves Fans Hilariously Underwhelmed
Pokemon Go Tour Bonus Gift Code Redemption
Read Article Fans Make Pokemon Day Bingo Cards To Share Their Outrageous Predictions
Pokemon Day 2024 Predictions Bingo
Read Article Helldivers 2 Fans Debate Unfair Negative Review Situation on Steam
mixed reviews helldivers 2 featured image
Author
Zack Palm
Zack Palm is the Senior Writer of Gamepur and has spent over five years covering video games, and earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Oregon State University. He spends his free time biking, running tabletop campaigns, and listening to heavy metal. His primary game beats are Pokémon Go, Destiny 2, Final Fantasy XIV, and any newly released title, and he finds it difficult to pull away from any Star Wars game.