Highlights
- The 9th Generation of Pokemon is coming to a close, with mixed reviews for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, but players can expect one final DLC called The Indigo Disk in Winter 2023.
- There are rumors of a new Nintendo console, possibly the Switch 2, coming in 2024, based on leaks and the typical pattern of Pokemon generations moving to a new Nintendo handheld.
- If the pattern holds true, the next Pokemon generation will likely start in 2025 on the new Nintendo console, which is anticipated to have stronger backward compatibility.
With one DLC part to go, the 9th Generation of Pokemon is winding down. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have been polarizing, with responses either seeing them as the true open-world Pokemon games that Pokemon Sword and Shield were trying to be, or a mess of bugs and empty fields. Regardless, if rumors are to be believed then players won't need to wait long to see what's next, and those enjoying Pokemon Scarlet and Violet can have one last hurrah when The Indigo Disk releases in Winter 2023.
As Pokemon begins closing the book on its current generation, the Nintendo Switch is likely doing the same. It's been strange that Nintendo hasn't acknowledged rumors of a new console yet, but it may be intent on giving the Switch one final holiday season to itself. Fans are sure that a new Nintendo console is on its way thanks to countless leaks, not to mention the Switch having been around for the length of an average console generation. On top of all the other evidence, a trend involving Pokemon generations points yet another finger at a Nintendo Switch 2 coming sometime in 2024.
For Most Of Pokemon’s Life, Its Generations Have Followed A Pattern
Pokemon is a fast-moving franchise, with frequent releases enabled by a consistent design formula and the humble handheld scope of its mainline titles. The series typically dwells in a given generation, marked by a mainline Pokemon title introducing a new region, for three or four years before moving on. This has been happening since the mid-90s with the Game Boy's Pokemon Red, Blue, Yellow, and Green establishing Generation 1, then moving on to Generation 2 with Gold, Silver, and Crystal. It's only then that the series jumped to Generation 3's Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald on the Game Boy Advance.
Generation 3 marked the first hardware generation leap in the franchise, and also introduced remakes of older titles instead of moving directly to a new generation. Since the GBA's Generation 3 gave way to Generation 4 on Nintendo DS, Pokemon has stuck to two new generations per Nintendo handheld. This meant Pokemon's Generations 4 and 5 were on the DS, Generations 6 and 7 debuted on 3DS, and Generations 8 and 9 arrived with the Nintendo Switch. Following that logic, there shouldn't be any more Pokemon generations on the Switch.
Pokemon’s Generations Are Another Point In The Switch 2’s Favor
If this pattern holds true, then it lines up with the suspected launch window of the Nintendo Switch 2. Since Pokemon's main release in 2023 was Scarlet and Violet's DLC acting as their third version, the only other Pokemon title expected on the current Switch is a generational half-step. Leaks haven't pinned down whether that will be Black and White remakes or another Pokemon Legends, but whatever it is will fill Pokemon's yearly release quota for 2024. That would leave 2025, three years after Scarlet and Violet's release, which should already have the next Nintendo console out, free to roll out the tenth generation of Pokemon.
Rumors of a Switch 2 have been circulating for several years and kicked into overdrive during 2023. There are reports of the console being demonstrated, developer kits going out to third-party teams, and a patent surfacing that might suggest what the Switch 2 looks like. Nintendo's plans for transitioning to the next console generation were even teased by Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser in a recent interview. Adding Pokemon's release trends to all of that supports the new Nintendo console arriving later in 2024, and a new Pokemon generation starting in 2025. Since some Pokemon fans have been hoping that stronger backward-compatible hardware can help stabilize current and future titles, they should expect some good news soon.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now for the Nintendo Switch.
