Plenty of existing Nintendo games are getting an upgrade for Switch 2, but few of them are benefitting nearly as much as Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. The open-world game released on Switch 1 in a haggard state that defied the capabilities of the technologically challenged console. Now that the Switch 2 is here, things are looking much better, literally. That’s good news for anyone who likes hunting for Pokémon with special coloring, otherwise known as shinies.
As we know, the Switch 2 version of the monster collecting game is optimized and now runs at 60 frames per second. In practice, this means maps with more visible terrain and less pop-in, smoother movement that doesn’t grind to a halt, and way more Pokémon on the map. These performance buffs mean the game can more closely approximate the idea that you’re running out in the wild, where untamed Pokémon roam.
It also makes hunting for shinies much easier. While there are a couple of ways to go about finding these rare critters, they typically require that the player repeatedly reload the map. In doing so, the player forces the game to load more monsters on the screen. Eventually, one of those Pokémon will spawn with that telltale sparkle, which signifies that it’s a shiny.
On Switch, the limited graphics meant that the console could only generate so many Pokémon. The Switch 2, on the other hand, populates maps more densely. More Pokémon means less reloading the map and more chances to find a shiny.
Shiny hunting has gotten progressively easier over the years, as The Pokémon Company has implemented more mechanics that allow players to increase the chances of finding them. There’s still a ton of repetition and tedium involved, though, which means that for shiny hunters, better graphics are a total game changer.
