Summary
- Shiny hunting in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet gets a boost with the free Switch 2 upgrade, making it easier and more consistent.
- Performance update increases rendered Pokemon, enriching the world and improving shiny odds in Gen 9 games.
- More Pokemon in the overworld enhance the ecosystem and increase chances of finding shinies, making gameplay more engaging.
It has been a while since Pokemon Scarlet and Violet had a major update that translated either into more content for the games or added something to Gen 9 as a whole. This is to be expected so long after Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's release, especially with Pokemon Legends: Z-A on the way for later this year and Gen 10 leaks starting to surface for a 2026 release. Yet, the Nintendo Switch 2 is on its way, with a release date of June 5, and alongside it will come a free upgrade for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet that may turn the tide in a few ways, including the process of hunting for shiny critters.
Shiny hunting in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet was received very positively across the board, thanks to the new Herba Mystica sandwiches, which streamlined the process for finding shinies of a given type and even made the fauna in the overworld change accordingly. Shiny hunting has gradually become a much more prominent feature in Pokemon games over the years, and it has become arguably easier to accommodate fans of all kinds. Now that the free Switch upgrade for the Gen 9 games is about to be released, players will suddenly experience a much more consistent and easier time looking for shiny Pokemon thanks to a big improvement to rendering and performance.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Reveal Late May Seven-Star Tera Raid
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet players can battle and catch another Seven-Star Tera Raid boss that will appear throughout late May.
Why Now is The Best Time to Shiny Hunt in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
Although one could argue that shiny hunting in Gen 9 games is already relatively easy, there are several instances where finding an optimal spot for spawning critters in the overworld is a rather tall task, forcing players to head to otherwise unremarkable caves because those are the only spots in the game where some critters spawn more generously. This happens across multiple biomes and for several Pokemon, and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's performance issues are partly to blame.
Since the overall performance of Gen 9 games on the Switch was subpar, with the games often running below 30 fps, an update was released to lower the number of Pokemon spawning in Scarlet and Violet as an attempt to improve how the games ran. However, this also decreased the chance of finding shiny Pokemon in the games as a result, and that's because fewer spawns mean fewer chances to encounter a shiny. This is precisely what the Switch 2 upgrade is fixing, as The Pokemon Company released screenshots of the games on the new console, where one can clearly see a lot more Pokemon roaming around.
This is a great boon on two different fronts. In one instance, more Pokemon roaming the overworld in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet means a richer ecosystem and a less empty world to traverse, which can be great for replayability going into year four of Gen 9's release. Additionally, it makes the world more engaging in terms of how many critters are actually there, boosting the odds of finding random shiny Pokemon as well as those one is target-farming for. This is a win-win scenario, and considering it's free, Gen 9 games will be much more enticing to play in just two weeks.
How Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Free Switch 2 Upgrade Benefits Shiny Odds
Considering that the base chance of finding shiny Pokemon in Gen 9 is 1 in 4,096, but one can artificially boost this by a lot, having the free Switch 2 upgrade for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet will make all the difference in the world. The odds remain the same as before the upgrade, but one of the screenshots shared by The Pokemon Company includes at least 14 Pokemon on screen, and the other at least 20. Compared to numbers equal to or below ten in the current version of the game, this is a huge boost to shiny odds.
|
Shiny Hunting Method |
Shiny Rates |
Rates With the Shiny Charm |
|
No additional method |
1 in 4,096 |
1 in 1365 |
|
Mass outbreak (60+ Pokemon defeated) |
1 in 1365 |
1 in 819 |
|
Sparkling Power Lv. 3 Sandwich |
1 in 1024 |
1 in 683 |
|
Sparkling Power Sandwich + Outbreak |
1 in 683 |
1 in 512 |
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 71 /100 Critics Rec: 48%
- Released
- November 18, 2022
- ESRB
- E For Everyone Due To Mild Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Game Freak
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo, The Pokemon Company
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- no
WHERE TO PLAY
The school that you’ve enrolled in as you play Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet hosts a special independent study project. The theme of this assignment is "A Treasure Hunt." Explore the world and seek out your very own treasure!
Three stories will be woven into your adventure while traversing the sprawling Paldea region. Along Victory Road, you will go to Gyms in different locations in order to to achieve Champion Rank. On the Path of Legends, you can join Arven in search of rare ingredients. And in ★ Starfall Street ★, you’ll challenge Team Star, a group of delinquents causing trouble for the school.
These stories are set in an open world, so where you go is all up to you. A world teeming with Pokémon and people to meet is waiting for you—traverse the Paldea region wherever you heart desires.
- Genre(s)
- RPG
