Why Nintendo Must Show Pokémon Legends: Z-A on Original Switch Before It’s Too Late
Nintendo Should Show Pokémon Legends: Z-A Running on Original Switch Again
Nintendo recently revealed new footage of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, but there’s a catch – it was only shown running on the brand-new Nintendo Switch 2. While it’s understandable Nintendo wants to highlight the best version of the game, many fans still play on the original Switch and deserve to know what to expect.
- New Pokémon Legends: Z-A footage shown only on Switch 2
- Concerns about performance on the original Switch
- Large installed base of original Switch owners still waiting
- Nintendo’s history of limited transparency on upgrades
- Calls for Nintendo to provide clear comparisons before release
Why This Matters for Original Switch Owners
At the end of March, Nintendo announced it had sold over 152 million Switch units worldwide. Just days after the Switch 2 launched, Nintendo sold more than 3 million Switch 2 consoles. That means millions of players remain on the original hardware.
Many of these players will want to buy Pokémon Legends: Z-A, trusting Nintendo’s quality. However, without clear footage or details showing how the game runs on the original Switch, there’s uncertainty. This is especially important for those buying digitally, as refunds may not be an option.
Early Footage Raises Questions About Performance
The last time Nintendo showed the game running on the original Switch was in March 2025 during a Nintendo Direct. That trailer mainly featured cinematic scenes of Lumiose City and gameplay with only a few Pokémon and characters on screen at once. The visuals looked fine, but performance is the real concern.
One moment in the March trailer shows a Dedenne and a Spewpa just staring off into the distance, likely due to limited processing power. Given how Pokémon Scarlet and Violet struggled on the original Switch with rendering multiple Pokémon and smooth open-world behavior, it’s fair to wonder how well Pokémon Legends: Z-A will handle a bustling city full of active NPCs and multiple Pokémon on screen.
Nintendo’s Transparency on Upgrades Needs Improvement
This isn’t the first time Nintendo has been vague about what players get with upgrades for the Switch 2. For example, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s Switch 2 version is described only as “optimized for… high-resolution TVs” with “improved frame rate,” which basically means 4K support and 60 fps. Similar minimal details were given for the Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom upgrades.
Compared to other companies, Nintendo’s approach is unusual. Sony, for example, shared footage of Horizon Forbidden West running on PlayStation 4, giving players an idea of performance differences. Publishers like Deep Silver provide detailed spec sheets for different hardware versions, such as for Kingdom Come Deliverance 2.
Even if official footage mainly showcases the most powerful hardware, it’s helpful to see or read about how the game performs on older systems. This helps players make informed choices before purchasing.
What’s Next?
Hopefully, Nintendo will follow up with more footage or a detailed version comparison for Pokémon Legends: Z-A on the original Switch before the game launches. We’ve reached out to Nintendo for comment and will update if we hear back.
Until then, if you don’t own a Switch 2, keep in mind that the flashy new footage might not represent the experience you get on the original hardware.
