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For a new Nintendo Switch buyer, choose between Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet based on the version you prefer and which game your friends play—not on a claim that one is universally better. Scarlet features Koraidon; Violet features Miraidon. The downloadable content is optional, and no Pokémon-specific accessory is established as essential for every player.
Should you buy Pokémon Scarlet or Violet?
Scarlet and Violet are separate editions of the Paldea adventure. Nintendo’s Scarlet listing associates Koraidon with Scarlet and Miraidon with Violet. The available official information confirms this version distinction but does not establish a universal gameplay-value winner.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Pokémon Pokopia - Nintendo Switch 2 | $69.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Pokémon Legends: Arceus - US Version | $54.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Pokemon Shining Pearl - Nintendo Switch Shining Pearl Edition | $52.48 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! - Nintendo Switch | $53.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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- Choose Scarlet if its version distinction, including Koraidon, appeals to you.
- Choose Violet if you prefer its version distinction, including Miraidon.
- If trading or playing with friends matters, check which edition they own and the current details for the specific play mode you want.
Nintendo lists the games separately, as a double pack, and in bundles with downloadable content. These are different purchase formats, not proof that a bundle is cheaper. Compare the live price and exact contents in your region before buying.
Is The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero worth buying?
The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero is the named add-on for Scarlet and Violet. Nintendo’s listing describes a New Uniform Set bonus. A listed bonus does not make the add-on worthwhile for everyone: decide based on whether you want the added game content, then confirm the add-on matches your edition and check its current price and contents.
#1 Best Overall
- Shape the world and build a cozy new life with Pokémon as a Ditto transformed to look like a human.
- Use other Pokémon’s moves, like Bulbasaur’s Leafage, to revitalize and navigate the world around you.
- Meet and befriend more Pokémon as you help nature flourish.
- Gather materials to create items and furniture, till the fields to grow delicious crops, build homes for the Pokémon you meet, and more—there’s so much to do!
- Experience a world with varied weather, real-time days and nights, and other surprises.
Which Pokémon accessories do you actually need?
Nintendo’s game information gives a general compatibility warning: play experience may differ on Switch Lite, and additional accessories may be required and sold separately. It does not identify a Pokémon-specific controller, case, or other accessory that every buyer needs. Whether you need anything beyond the game depends on your hardware and setup, so avoid treating an accessory as essential without checking that setup.
What about Sword and Shield expansion passes?
If you own Pokémon Sword or Pokémon Shield, buy the Expansion Pass for that exact game. Nintendo’s purchase instructions specify that each pass works only with its matching version.
Rank #2
- Action meets RPG in this new take on the Pokémon series
- Study Pokémon behaviors, sneak up on them, and toss a well-aimed Poké Ball to catch them
- Unleash moves in the speedy agile style or the powerful strong style in battles
- Travel to the Hisui region—the Sinnoh of old—and build the region’s first Pokédex
- Learn about the Mythical Pokémon Arceus, the key to this mysterious tale
| Your game | Matching pass |
|---|---|
| Pokémon Sword | Pokémon Sword Expansion Pass |
| Pokémon Shield | Pokémon Shield Expansion Pass |
Is Pokémon Legends: Arceus a better fit?
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a distinct alternative, rather than another edition of the Paldea games. Nintendo describes it as combining action and exploration with Pokémon RPG roots, with survey missions in Hisui. Consider it if exploration and those missions are the main draw; the official description does not make it a substitute for a particular Scarlet or Violet version.
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Can Pokémon HOME connect these games?
Pokémon HOME is relevant if you manage a collection across compatible games. Nintendo Support lists Scarlet, Violet, Sword, Shield, Legends: Arceus, Brilliant Diamond, and Shining Pearl among the Switch games it supports. Nintendo also says a Nintendo Switch Online membership is not required to use HOME. Check the current HOME compatibility and transfer rules before buying a game specifically to move Pokémon; compatibility and transfer limitations can change.
Rank #3
- Revisit the Sinnoh region from the original Pokémon Pearl Version game and set off to try and become the Champion of the Pokémon League
- The Pokémon Shining Pearl game brings new life to this remade classic with added features
- Explore the Grand Underground to dig up items and Pokémon Fossils, build a Secret Base, and more.
- Test your style and rhythm in a Super Contest Show
- A reimagined adventure, now for the Nintendo Switch system
How to compare the total cost
Nintendo’s listed prices are U.S. store prices, not a price comparison for every country, and commercial prices can change. Compare the game, any desired add-on, and bundle contents at checkout in your region. A bundle is worthwhile only if its contents are things you want at a price that makes sense for you.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Don the role of a Pokémon Trainer as you travel through Kanto
- Discover a new species of Pokémon with the Pokémon Lets Go series
- Catch Pokémon in the wild using a gentle throwing motion with either a Joy-Con controller or a Poké Ball Plus accessory, which will light up, vibrate, and make sounds to bring your adventure to life
- See the world in style by customizing Pikachu and your Trainer with a selection of outfits
- Connect to Pokémon GO* to transfer caught Kanto-region Pokémon, including Alolan and Shiny forms, as well as the newly discovered Pokémon, Meltan, from that game to this one
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
