Pokémon

Pokémon Legends: Z-A: How do the Switch and Switch 2 versions compare?

Early analysis reveals key differences in resolution, FPS, and draw distance between the versions.

Update: Oct 14th, 2025 23:36 CEST

Pokémon Legends: Z-A arrives this week. The first reviews have appeared today, along with opinions on what this new installment is like, which takes trainers to Lumiose City. This release is very special, as it is the first time since Pokémon Gold & Silver that we have a Pokémon game coming out at the same time for two different consoles, with some improvements on the newer one.

A few months ago, we saw the performance improvements that Pokémon Scarlet & Violet experienced with the arrival of the Nintendo Switch 2. On the other hand, many of the reviews that have come out base their opinion on the newer version of Nintendo’s hybrid console, but what awaits players of the original Switch? It wasn’t long before the YouTube channel AnalistadeBits published a comparison and showed the differences between the two consoles.

Performance and resolution, the most noticeable change in Pokémon Legends

Over the course of almost 16 minutes, AnalistadeBits makes an in-depth technical comparison of aspects such as shadows, textures, draw distance, level of detail, and vegetation, among others. Some changes can be seen in these aspects, which are very noticeable due to the difference in power between the consoles, but they are really minimal.

Although technically there aren’t many differences, the ones that do exist are very noticeable and demonstrate the greater power of the Nintendo Switch 2. For example, in one of the comparisons, you can see that the pop-in of some characters and objects is more evident on the Switch than on the Switch 2. In terms of resolution and frames per second, this is another of the most notable differences, although not surprising. The game runs at a stable rate of 30 fps on the Switch, while on the Switch 2 it stays at 60 fps. The resolution varies from 720p in portable mode on the Switch to 2160p scaled in dock mode on the Nintendo Switch 2.