Is Pokémon Pokopia On Switch 1?

Pokémon Pokopia looks like it's going to be a sure-fire hit. Combining the cuteness of the creatures with the building mechanics of Minecraft (and its like-minded peers) and the quests of Viva Pinata, it's a match made in heaven for families, friends, and Pokéfans alike.

With Pokémon's long-time support of the Switch 1, and the mass popularity of the franchise, you might be wondering whether the game is available on the older console.

Sadly, Pokémon Pokopia is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive at the moment, with no plans to come to Switch 1. Boo!

Why isn't Pokémon Pokopia on Switch 1?

Well, we can only really hazard some guesses at this point, but we have to imagine the size of each of the towns and the amount of customisation and destructibility must be a huge part of it.

Given that the Switch 2 is a more-powerful system, and the game runs at a locked 60fps (we've only noticed drops in Palette Town and in GameShare so far), there would need to be significant compromises to get the game running on Switch 1.

And look, while Pokémon Legends: Z-A came to both Switch 1 and Switch 2, the series will need to move to Switch 2 exclusivity at some point. Pokémon Winds & Waves is certainly doing that.

Can you play it on Switch 1 with GameShare?

So here's the nice caveat here — yes, you can play Pokémon Pokopia via GameShare on Switch 1, as long as someone in your household has a Switch 2 and a copy of the game.

What you can do in-game is a little limited, but it's still a nice way to interact with friends and play the game together. Our guide on How To Use GameShare in Pokémon Pokopia will certainly help you set things up.

Will it come to Switch 1 in the future?

Never say never, though we think it's unlikely given the scope of the game.

Regardless of how huge Pokémon is, the Switch 2 needs some exclusives to entice people over to the newer console. At least you can use GameShare with your kids!

Are there similar games on Switch 1?

While there are tons of Pokémon games on Switch 1, there's nothing else quite like Pokopia in the franchise.

But Pokopia does take inspiration from a lot of building and resource games, as well as cosy life sims. So here are a few recommendations from us for games you can play on Switch 1 that are similar:

• Dragon Quest Builders 2 — Developed by the same team who worked on Pokopia, this is probably the closest you'll get to the core Pokopia experience, just with a Dragon Quest coat of paint.
• Animal Crossing: New Horizons — This is way more life-sim oriented that Pokopia, but it's got the cosiness down and there's lots of customisation on-hand.
• Minecraft — The sandbox mega-hit is a clear inspiration for Pokopia, and millions have put thousands of hours into Minecraft already. Build, break, create... there's so much to do here.

In terms of more-cuddly Pokémon experiences, here's what you can get on Switch 1:

• New Pokémon Snap
• Pokémon Quest
• Pokémon Café ReMix

For Pokopia, however, it's Switch 2 only, unless you know someone who has a Switch 2 and is willing to use GameShare to play with you.