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Pokémon Games on Nintendo Switch: Releases, HOME Compatibility, and Save Data

Nintendo’s Switch-era Pokémon HOME list, transfer limits, console-save migration, and the answer to whether HOME Premium is required.

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For a current, practical list of Pokémon games connected to Pokémon HOME on Nintendo Switch, Nintendo names Pokémon Champions, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Scarlet and Violet, Legends: Arceus, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, Sword and Shield, and Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee!. That compatibility list is not a complete history or formal definition of every mainline Pokémon game. The key distinction for players is that Pokémon HOME moves eligible Pokémon between supported games; it does not move a game’s save file to another console.

What Pokémon games are on Switch?

Nintendo’s current Pokémon HOME FAQ lists these Nintendo Switch titles. This is a practical catalog of HOME-connected Switch games, not a complete chronology of Pokémon releases or an official definition of which games count as mainline.

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Game Platform and release information Pokémon HOME relationship
Pokémon Champions Nintendo Switch and mobile versions are announced. Nintendo lists it as a free download in its software schedule; regional availability may vary. Nintendo software schedule Certain eligible Pokémon can visit from HOME. Pokémon obtained in Champions cannot be sent to HOME. The Pokémon Company announcement
Pokémon Legends: Z-A Nintendo Switch software; Nintendo’s schedule gives October 16, 2025 as the release date and cautions that dates may differ by region. Nintendo software schedule HOME connected. Pokémon moved into Z-A cannot be returned to previous main-series games. Pokémon Support compatibility FAQ
Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet Nintendo Switch HOME supports deposit and withdrawal, subject to Pokémon eligibility in the destination game. Pokémon Support compatibility FAQ
Pokémon Legends: Arceus Nintendo Switch HOME supports deposit and withdrawal, subject to destination-game eligibility. Pokémon Support compatibility FAQ
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl Nintendo Switch HOME supports deposit and withdrawal, subject to destination-game eligibility. Pokémon Support compatibility FAQ
Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield Nintendo Switch HOME supports deposit and withdrawal, subject to destination-game eligibility. Pokémon Support compatibility FAQ
Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! Nintendo Switch HOME connected, but moving a Pokémon from a Let’s Go title into a newer game is one-way: it cannot return to the original Let’s Go game. Pokémon Support compatibility FAQ
Pokémon FireRed Version and Pokémon LeafGreen Version Nintendo lists these as downloadable-only Switch software. Nintendo software schedule Not included in the Switch HOME-connected game list cited above; compatibility is not established here.

Nintendo’s HOME app has a Switch version and a compatible mobile version. The same Nintendo Account can link the console and mobile versions; the mobile app also connects with Pokémon Champions and Pokémon GO. Nintendo’s HOME FAQ

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What Pokémon can you transfer between games?

HOME compatibility does not mean every Pokémon can be moved into every compatible game. Nintendo says a Pokémon can be transferred only to games in which that Pokémon appears. So a title may support deposit and withdrawal through HOME while still rejecting a particular Pokémon because it is not available in that destination. Check eligibility for the specific Pokémon and destination before moving it. Pokémon Support’s compatibility rules

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Transfers that cannot be reversed

  • Let’s Go to a newer game: Once a Pokémon has been moved from Let’s Go, Pikachu! or Let’s Go, Eevee! to a newer game, it cannot be returned to its original Let’s Go title.
  • Previous main-series games to Legends: Z-A: Pokémon moved into Z-A cannot be transferred back to previous main-series games. This also applies to Pokémon originating in an older main-series game and then moved into Z-A.
  • Pokémon Champions: Certain eligible Pokémon can visit from HOME, but Pokémon caught or obtained in Champions cannot be transferred into HOME.

These direction limits mean HOME is not a universal undo button or a two-way bridge in every case. Confirm the destination and return rules before making a transfer, especially when moving a Pokémon out of Let’s Go or into Legends: Z-A. Pokémon Support The Pokémon Company on Champions

Can you transfer Pokémon to a new Switch?

Yes, but distinguish transferring a Pokémon from migrating a game save. Pokémon HOME moves Pokémon between compatible games. A Nintendo Switch system transfer moves user and game-save data between consoles; it does not use HOME as the save-migration mechanism.

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For HOME to connect to a game such as Scarlet or Violet, that game’s save file must be present on the same console where HOME is running. Pokémon Support states: “To link Pokémon HOME with games like Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet, the game’s save data must be present on the same console where you launch Pokémon HOME.” The guidance appears in its Switch 2 FAQ, updated January 30, 2026. Pokémon HOME on Nintendo Switch 2 FAQs

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Moving a game save from Switch to Switch 2

Pokémon Support recommends Nintendo’s system-transfer feature, using the same Nintendo Account on the original Switch and Switch 2. Its FAQ distinguishes a full system transfer from selective transfer: a full transfer moves all users and their save data together. The FAQ also distinguishes two full-transfer methods: server upload resets the original Switch, while local communication when a Switch 2 is already available does not reset the original console. If you want to move only selected users or saves, follow Nintendo’s selective transfer instructions rather than assuming a full transfer is necessary. Read the current official directions before starting, since migration steps can change. Pokémon Support’s Switch 2 FAQ

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Why won’t Pokémon HOME link to a game?

A common cause after switching consoles is that the relevant game’s save file is not on the console where HOME is running. HOME needs the game save on that same console to link with a title such as Scarlet or Violet. Use Nintendo’s system-transfer process with the same Nintendo Account to move the user and save data, then launch HOME on the console holding that save. Pokémon Support’s Switch 2 FAQ

If HOME links but a Pokémon cannot be moved into the selected title, that is a different issue: the Pokémon may not appear in the destination game, or a title-specific transfer direction may prevent the move. Check the compatibility and return rules rather than repeating the console migration. Pokémon Support compatibility FAQ

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Do you need Nintendo Switch Online or HOME Premium?

Nintendo says a Nintendo Switch Online membership is not required to use Pokémon HOME, and paid HOME Premium is not required for Pokémon transfers on Switch or Switch 2. Premium offers additional features, but it is not a prerequisite for the transfers described here. HOME plan prices can change, so check Nintendo’s current plan details if you need subscription pricing. Nintendo HOME FAQ Pokémon HOME plan details

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Does this list cover every mainline Pokémon game?

No. It answers the practical Switch-era question by listing the titles Nintendo currently names as HOME-connected, alongside the separate FireRed and LeafGreen Switch software entries in Nintendo’s schedule. It does not establish a complete release chronology across Game Boy, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, or other earlier platforms, nor does HOME compatibility alone settle whether a release is formally mainline.

Quick Recap

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