While many fans agree that Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are terrific games at their core, the performance issues and bugs are plagues that can’t be overlooked. Some fans can’t enjoy Pokémon Scarlet and Violet at all due to severe frame rate drops and other performance problems. While the ultimate fixes will have to come from Game Freak or Nintendo, there are some ways for players to give themselves a slight performance boost for the time being.
The number one issue that many players have is a laggy or continuously dropping frame rate. Basically, the game is not running at a smooth FPS (frames per second). Instead, it’s choppy and almost unplayable at times. In order to try and fix this, players will have to reduce the quality of their game or use their Switch in a certain way.
Below, we provide more details on those possible frame rate fixes in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
Increase frame rate in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
The first fix players can try is to simply play with their Nintendo Switch in handheld mode. This means removing the Switch from the dock and playing without a TV or monitor. While players will be reduced to playing on their Switch’s screen, the lower resolution should at least be more stable than what players previously experienced.
If players want to keep playing on an external monitor, though, they can also attempt to reduce their Switch’s resolution. This will make the game look slightly worse, but should give players a higher and more consistent FPS. To do this, head into your Switch’s System Settings and then scroll until you see “TV Output.” From here, select “TV Resolution” and pick either 720p or 480p. 720p is closer to full HD, but could still see some performance issues. However, if you’re seeing enough of an improvement on 720p, then keep it there.
If not, then you can move down to 480p. This resolution looks quite blurry and pixelated, but it might be worth it to some players who simply want a smooth experience.
Other than those fixes, there’s not much else players can try. Hopefully, updates are released soon that will fix the frame rate issues and other bugs that are currently present in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
