I’ve been playing Pokémon Legends: ZA on my Switch 2 since it first launched and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. The game takes place entirely in Lumiose City, and I found it ran beautifully on the fresh console. Whether you’re catching Pokémon in wild zones or engaging in intense battles, everything looks clear and gameplay is perfectly polished.
However, you don’t actually need to own a Switch 2 to play Pokémon Legends: ZA. The standard Switch version is now available for $10 less than its Switch 2 counterpart. So if you’re a Poké fan who hasn’t yet made the leap to the newest console, you don’t have to miss out on the latest Pokémon adventure. The real question is how well does the Switch 1 version perform? IGN had a chance to play the game on both consoles side by side, and the older console seems to be able to run the game reasonably well – with the exception of some frame rate loss. You can check out our comparison below to see how these two versions of the game stack up against each other.
Should you upgrade?
As we noticed in our comparison video, the differences between both versions of the game are noticeable, but not as large as in reality need upgrade to be able to play the game. If you want the best possible gameplay with the sharpest graphics possible, I’d say it’s definitely worth upgrading to the Switch 2. However, if you don’t want to spend $450 on a fresh console, the Switch 1 version of the game will run just fine. The environments will be slightly less detailed and some Pokémon’s movements may look stilted, but overall the experience will still be fun.
As someone who has upgraded to a Switch 2, I’d say the value of such an upgrade is more in future games than in the current interim period. Nintendo will continue to release upcoming Switch games on both consoles, but ultimately the older hardware won’t be able to handle the latest releases. This has already happened with games like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, which are exclusive to Switch 2. And while This With the Pokémon game available on both consoles, I can almost guarantee that the next mainline game in the series won’t be able to run on the original Switch.
This does add some value to something like the latest Switch 2 bundle, as it gives you the Switch 2 version of the game at a slight discount if you buy the bundle along with it. So while Pokémon Legends: ZA doesn’t necessarily require an update, it’s still a potential reason to buy a next-gen console. This is especially true when you consider that Nintendo has already increased the price of the original Switch and warned that the price of the Switch 2 will also likely boost in the future.
You can always buy the Switch 2 upgrade later
Pokémon Legends ZA (Switch 2)
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If you plan on playing Pokémon Legends: ZA on the original Switch, it’s worth noting that you can purchase an upgrade for the game on Switch 2 in the future. If you start playing the version on Switch 1 and later purchase the Switch 2, all you need to do is purchase the $10 upgrade pack to get better graphics and performance. Considering the Switch 2 version only costs $10 more than the Switch 1 version, you won’t pay more by going this route.
