Pokémon catching is about to go to an all-new level with the new Pokemon Home app that’s finally set to launch on iPhone and iPad in February 2020.
Fresh details about the Pokémon Home experience were revealed by the Pokémon Company this morning showing how players will soon be able to store and manage Pokémon from games on the Nintendo Switch and 3DS and transfer them to new games.
Pokémon Home is a cloud service app that aims to create a giant device-agnostic platform where trainers can collect and trade Pokémon. There’s no actual gameplay in the app to acquire new Pokémon, but if you link the mobile app to your Nintendo account you’ll be able to take your Pokémon from game to game.
Pokémon Home‘s killer features
Photo: The Pokémon Company
The Nintendo Switch version of Pokémon Home supports connectivity with the Nintendo Switch games Pokémon Sword, Pokémon Shield, Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu!, and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! Support for Pokémon Go is still in development so if that’s the only Pokémon game you play, you’ll have to wait to enjoy some of the best features on the app.
Even if you don’t have Pokémon to bring in from other games, you can still trade for some with other trainers. Pokémon Home has four trade modes. Pokémon can be placed in a Wonder Box which is then traded with other players even if you’re not using the app. There’s a Global Trade System that lets you specify what Pokémon you want to trade and what you want to receive and matches you up with someone else willing to make that trade. You can also create a room and trade with anyone in the room. The app also lets you add friends and trade directly with them.
Pokémon added to Pokémon Home are added to the National Pokédex. On the mobile app you’ll also be able to view ranked matches being played online. And to make some money off the entire thing, the Pokémon Company created a Premium subscription tier that lets you store 6,000 Pokémon, host Room Trades, judge Pokémon to see their stats and more.
