Pokémon players can now begin their competitive journey on a mobile phone, but those who reach the highest levels of the official circuit still need a Nintendo Switch to take part in major tournaments.
The restriction affects the Video Game Championships (VGC), including regional events and the Pokémon World Championships. Although the mobile edition of Pokémon Champions is cross-platform and offers almost the same experience as the Switch version, it was not permitted at this year’s World Championships.
From 1 September, some local tournaments have been allowed to accept players using mobile devices. However, competitors at regional events and above must continue to use Switch hardware.
Why mobile Pokémon competition remains restricted
Masaaki Hoshino, the producer of Pokémon Champions, said the decision was partly linked to the quality of the graphics on the Switch 2 and the practical difficulties of supporting a wide range of mobile devices.
“The reason why we’re using Switch right now is just because graphics are quite nice on the Switch 2,” he said through an interpreter during a round-table interview at the World Championships.
He added: “Also, because [with] mobile there’s just so many devices out there, if we allow people to bring their own devices, it can be a bit complicated from that perspective.”
That explanation has left questions over why the mobile version cannot be accepted at major events, particularly as Champions is designed around cross-platform play. Hoshino said the game’s battle calculations are carried out on servers, a system that makes cross-platform competition possible but was among the most difficult aspects of its development.
With both versions now available, however, the technical challenge of bringing mobile and Switch players together appears to have been addressed within the game itself.
There is also an existing way to ensure that streamed matches use consistent equipment. The VGC rules allow tournament organisers to provide hardware for broadcast games, with players’ team IDs used to recreate their registered line-ups on that equipment.
The Switch 2 version is visibly sharper than the mobile edition, which may make it more attractive for matches being shown to large audiences. The World Championships finals were held at San Francisco’s Chase Center this year, with thousands attending and matches displayed on the arena’s screens.
VGC was also the most watched of the four games featured at the championships, according to Esports Charts, underlining the growing profile of competitive Pokémon.
Mobile players can still build championship teams
Players who compete solely on mobile are not substantially limited when preparing a team. Almost every Pokémon needed for competition can be obtained within Champions through its recruit system, while Pokémon from other Switch games can be transferred through Pokémon Home.
Training has also been streamlined, reducing tasks that once took hours to a matter of minutes. The main exception is Eternal Flower Floette, which is obtainable through Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The Pokémon featured on this year’s winning team has also attracted criticism from players who regard its availability as pay-to-win.
That means a player could qualify for the World Championships after beginning on a phone, only to discover that a Switch is required at the event itself. The barrier is particularly significant as the price of the Switch 2 and other technology continues to rise, while the game has been downloaded around 25 million times across Switch and mobile.
Other competitive Pokémon titles demonstrate that mobile devices can be incorporated into high-level events. Pokémon Unite permits mobile play in major competitions, while Pokémon Go, which is available only on mobile, has also hosted streamed competitive matches.
Pokémon Champions was promoted as an inclusive and accessible entry point to competitive battling. Allowing mobile players to compete at every level would extend that principle to the tournaments themselves, rather than requiring successful players to purchase separate hardware before they can take the final step towards the world championships.
