Platform guide
All Pokémon Switch games in order
By Lenn Hodes · founder — every cartridge tested by hand
Eight mainline Pokémon games came out on the Nintendo Switch between 2019 and 2025 — the first generation on a home console, the Sinnoh remakes, the two Legends games and the first open-world Pokémon. Every one of them is a cartridge, and every cartridge plays on a Switch 2.
The short answer
The eight mainline Pokémon games on Nintendo Switch, in order, are: Sword and Shield (2019), Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (2021), Legends: Arceus (2022), Scarlet and Violet (2022), and Legends: Z-A (2025). Add the two Let's Go games and four more spin-offs on cartridge, and there are 14 Pokémon games you can put in a Switch, Switch Lite, OLED or Switch 2.
Tested Pokémon Switch games in stock
Play-tested on a real Switch and shipped tracked across the EU. Every cartridge here also plays on a Switch 2.
Pokemon Sword
Personally tested · Good condition
Pokken Tournament DX
Personally tested · Good condition
Pokemon Scarlet
Personally tested · Good condition
Pokemon Shining Pearl
Personally tested · Good condition
Pokemon Shield
Personally tested · Good condition
Pokemon Violet
Personally tested · Good condition
Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Personally tested · Good condition
New Pokemon Snap
Personally tested · Good condition
Pokemon Violet
Factory sealed
Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu
Personally tested · Good condition
Pokemon Sword
Personally tested · Good condition
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX
Personally tested · Good condition
Every mainline Pokémon Switch game
| Game | Year (EU) | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Sword | 2019 | Gen 8 — Galar |
| Shield | 2019 | Gen 8 — Galar |
| Brilliant Diamond | 2021 | Gen 4 remake — Sinnoh |
| Shining Pearl | 2021 | Gen 4 remake — Sinnoh |
| Legends: Arceus | 2022 | Gen 8 — Hisui |
| Scarlet | 2022 | Gen 9 — Paldea |
| Violet | 2022 | Gen 9 — Paldea |
| Legends: Z-A | 2025 | Gen 9 — Lumiose City |
Game by game — the buying notes
Pokémon Sword (2019)
The first mainline Pokémon game on a home console, with the Wild Area and Dynamax. The Expansion Pass (Isle of Armor, Crown Tundra) was sold separately and, in the boxed bundle, as a download code — second-hand, assume that code has been used.
Pokémon Shield (2019)
The Zamazenta counterpart to Sword. Same region and story, different version-exclusive Pokémon and gyms. Both were printed in huge numbers, so a used cartridge is easy to find.
Pokémon Brilliant Diamond (2021)
A faithful remake of the DS original, down to the chibi overworld. It leaves out Platinum’s additions such as the Distortion World, so the DS cartridges remain the deeper Sinnoh games — but this is the version with a modern save and a big screen.
Pokémon Shining Pearl (2021)
The Palkia half of the remake pair. Same buying picture as Brilliant Diamond: common, complete in the box, and a good first Pokémon game for a younger player.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus (2022)
The game that changed the series: open zones, catching in real time, no gyms. If you only want one Switch-era Pokémon game, this is the usual answer — and it is a stronger starting point than the Diamond and Pearl remakes.
Pokémon Scarlet (2022)
The first fully open-world mainline game. It ran roughly on the original Switch at launch; the free Switch 2 update from 2025 is the smoother way to play it. The DLC bundle in shops carries The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero as a code, not on the cartridge — second-hand, assume it has been used.
Pokémon Violet (2022)
The Miraidon counterpart: future-themed instead of past-themed, and a different academy professor. Otherwise the same game as Scarlet, and the same Switch 2 update applies.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A (2025)
Back to Kalos, inside one city, with real-time battles and Mega Evolution at the centre. Sold for Switch and as a Switch 2 Edition; the Switch cartridge plays on both consoles. The newest game on this page, so second-hand saves you the least here.
Wondering whether to play the Sinnoh remakes or the originals? The DS versions are on our list of all Pokémon DS games, and the Platinum buying guide explains what the remakes left out.
Switch, Switch Lite, OLED or Switch 2 — what plays where
Every game on this page is a Switch cartridge, and a Switch cartridge plays on every model Nintendo has sold since 2017: the original Switch, the Switch Lite, the OLED model and the Switch 2. Two things changed with the Switch 2: Scarlet and Violet got a free update in 2025 that runs at a much steadier frame rate, and Legends: Z-A came out with a separate Switch 2 Edition next to the regular cartridge.
The practical consequence for a buyer: a second-hand Pokémon cartridge is not a step back. Unlike the Game Boy, GBA and DS era, the save lives on the console rather than on the cartridge, so a used game starts clean, and there is no clock battery to go flat. What we check is the card itself — that it reads, boots and plays on a real Switch — and whether the box and inlay are complete when the listing says so.
Every Pokémon Switch spin-off on cartridge, in release order
Six spin-offs came out on a Switch cartridge, which with the mainline eight makes 14 Pokémon games you can buy for a Switch. The download-only ones — Pokémon Quest, Café ReMix, Unite and Champions, all free-to-start — are not on this list for exactly that reason: there is no cartridge to buy.
| Game | Year (EU) | Series |
|---|---|---|
| Pokkén Tournament DX | 2017 | Fighting |
| Let's Go, Pikachu! | 2018 | Yellow remake — Kanto |
| Let's Go, Eevee! | 2018 | Yellow remake — Kanto |
| Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX | 2020 | Mystery Dungeon |
| New Pokémon Snap | 2021 | Photography |
| Detective Pikachu Returns | 2023 | Adventure |
Pokkén Tournament DX (2017)
The Wii U fighting game with extra Pokémon and a proper online mode, released in the Switch launch year. The one Pokémon game on this list that is not about catching anything.
Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! (2018)
Kanto rebuilt for the Switch, with catching done by throwing and a second player who can join in with a Joy-Con. Nintendo counts the Let’s Go pair with the core series; for a child’s first Pokémon game it is the gentlest entry on the console.
Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! (2018)
The Eevee half of the pair — same game, different partner on your shoulder and a few version-exclusive Pokémon. Both play on a Switch Lite in handheld mode (aim with the console, throw with a button); the Poké Ball Plus is optional.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX (2020)
A remake of the GBA and DS Rescue Team games in a watercolour style, with auto-battle and rescue requests. The only dungeon-crawler in the series on Switch.
New Pokémon Snap (2021)
The sequel to the N64 game, twenty-one years later: on-rails photography across the Lental region. Relaxed, complete in itself, and one of the few Pokémon games with nothing to grind.
Detective Pikachu Returns (2023)
The sequel to the 3DS adventure that became the film. Short, story-led and aimed young; it sold modestly, so boxed copies are less common than the mainline games.
Or buy one that has already been checked
Every Switch cartridge we sell has been play-tested on a real Switch, and the listing says whether the box and inlay are there. We have been doing this since 2019, with 1400+ verified reviews at 5.0★, and we ship tracked to all 27 EU countries.
Browse tested Pokémon gamesQuestions we get asked
How many Pokémon games are there on the Nintendo Switch?
Fourteen on cartridge: eight mainline games and six spin-offs. The mainline eight are Sword and Shield (2019), the Sinnoh remakes Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (2021), Legends: Arceus (2022), Scarlet and Violet (2022) and Legends: Z-A (2025). The six spin-offs are Pokkén Tournament DX, Let’s Go, Pikachu!, Let’s Go, Eevee!, Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX, New Pokémon Snap and Detective Pikachu Returns. Download-only games such as Quest, Café ReMix, Unite and Champions come on top of that, but there is nothing to buy second-hand there.
Do Pokémon Switch games work on the Switch 2?
Yes. Every game on this page is a Switch cartridge, and all of them play on a Nintendo Switch 2. Scarlet and Violet received a free Switch 2 update in 2025 that improves the frame rate, and Legends: Z-A has a separate Switch 2 Edition. The only Pokémon game that is Switch 2 only is Pokopia (March 2026), which is not on this list.
Are Switch games region-locked?
No. The Switch is region-free, so a Japanese or American cartridge starts on a European console. The mainline Pokémon games carry all their languages on the cartridge, so an import plays in English too. Everything we sell is the European version unless the product page says otherwise.
Does a used Switch cartridge come with someone else’s save?
No. A Switch stores save data on the console, not on the game card, so a second-hand cartridge always starts fresh — and you cannot lose your own save by lending or selling the game. That is a real difference from the Game Boy, GBA and DS cartridges, where the save travels with the cartridge.
Do Pokémon Switch games work on a Switch Lite?
Yes, all of them. The Lite is handheld-only, so in the Let’s Go games you aim by moving the console and throw with a button instead of swinging a Joy-Con; Pokkén and the mainline games play exactly as on a full Switch. The Poké Ball Plus accessory for Let’s Go is optional on every model.
Which Pokémon Switch game should I buy first?
Legends: Arceus if you want the game that reshaped the series; Scarlet or Violet if you play on a Switch 2 and want the open world; Let’s Go, Pikachu! or Eevee! for a young child’s first Pokémon game. The Diamond and Pearl remakes are the pick if you loved the DS era and want it on a big screen.
What is the next Pokémon game after Legends: Z-A?
Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves — the tenth generation, announced on Pokémon Day 2026 for Nintendo Switch 2 only and due in 2027. Until then, Scarlet, Violet and Legends: Z-A are the newest mainline games, and all three play on both consoles.
Do you ship Pokémon Switch games across the EU?
Yes — tracked shipping from the Netherlands to all 27 EU countries, no customs charges inside the EU, and 30 days to return an order. The exact rate for your country appears at checkout before you pay.
One platform down: all Pokémon 3DS games, two down: all Pokémon DS games — or see the whole series in order.
Dutch reader? Pokémon Switch-games — dezelfde lijst in het Nederlands.