Nintendo Switch reportedly to be the first home console to get a Pokemon game

Pokemon Sun and Moon are finally out today, but it now appears that they won’t be a Nintendo 3DS exclusive. 

Instead, the games looks set to make their way to the Nintendo Switch console in 2017, and are under development under the name Pokemon Stars.

The name suggests that the game will be a combined version of Sun and Moon, in the same way that Yellow was a combination of Red and Blue and Crystal was a combination of Silver and Gold. 

A Poke-first

This will be the first ever time a full Pokemon game will appear on a home console. Pokemon characters have appeared in versions of the Super Smash Bros games, and the Nintendo 64 received a Pokemon game called Pokemon Stadium. 

Eurogamer, which first reported the news, is claiming that multiple unnamed sources are stating the game has been developed in parallel with the handheld versions, and as such is already a long way into development. 

The game will also apparently feature connectivity with the handheld versions, allowing you to transfer Pokemon between the two via the Pokemon Bank app. 

The news tallies with previous comments from Game Freak which suggested that they were looking to develop games for the Switch (then known as the NX). 

Apparently the game is expected to launch late next year after slipping from its early 2017 planned launch date. 

We have contacted Nintendo for comment and will update this piece when they respond. 

Jon Porter

Jon Porter is the ex-Home Technology Writer for TechRadar. He has also previously written for Practical Photoshop, Trusted Reviews, Inside Higher Ed, Al Bawaba, Gizmodo UK, Genetic Literacy Project, Via Satellite, Real Homes and Plant Services Magazine, and you can now find him writing for The Verge.

Latest in Nintendo Switch
Samus Aran leaping through space
Metroid Prime 4 tipped to be at the heart of April's Nintendo Switch 2 deep-dive
Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2 expected to have AI upscaling and I can't wait to finally play Tears of the Kingdom with upgraded graphics
Super Mario Odyssey played on a Nintendo Switch in portable mode
YouTuber seemingly reveals the first hands-on look at the Nintendo Switch 2 and its new magnetic Joy-Cons
Nintendo Switch Pro
To the surprise of absolutely no one, another new look at the Nintendo Switch 2 has seemingly leaked
Nintendo Switch 2
If the Switch 2 can't perform at the same level as the Z1 Extreme Asus ROG Ally even with Nvidia's DLSS, then Nintendo is in trouble
Nintendo Switch 2
New Nintendo Switch 2 leak may have revealed the first look at the new handheld
Latest in News
L-mount alliance
Sirui joins L-Mount Alliance to deliver its superb budget lenses for Leica, DJI, Sigma and Panasonic cameras
Security padlock and circuit board to protect data
Trust in digital services around the world sees a massive drop as security worries continue
A Lego Pikachu tail next to a Pebble OS watch and a screenshot of Assassin's Creed Shadow
ICYMI: the week's 7 biggest tech stories from LG's excellent new OLED TV to our Assassin's Creed Shadow review
Samuel and Romy standing very close together in A24's Babygirl movie
Everything new on Max in April 2025, including A24's Babygirl and The Last of Us season 2
An AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT made by Sapphire on a table with its retail packaging
AMD’s secret weapon against Nvidia seems to be stock – way more RX 9070 GPUs are rumored to be hitting shelves than RTX 5000 models
Hacker silhouette working on a laptop with North Korean flag on the background
North Korea unveils new military unit targeting AI attacks