Despite rumors that a mainline Pokémon game would appear on the Nintendo Switch, developers Game Freak only announced that souped-up versions of the latest games will be releasing on 3DS hardware. For many, this news will be disappointing, but it’s not without precedent.


In the past, Game Freak has stated that they “believe that Pokémon is best on a handheld,” though obviously the Switch is a hybrid console. We also know that a new 2DS XL is releasing later this year, and I’d wager that the combination of new handhelds plus new Pokémon will be a great boon for Nintendo’s sales. It’s just a bummer because emulators have shown us that a Pokémon game with higher graphical quality is possible.

Ultra Sun and Moon will feature an alternate storyline with new Alola creatures, and will drop on November 17th 2017. You can see the trailer below, starting around the 2:30 mark. You’ll note that Megas are back, and the legendaries we grew to love in Sun and Moon have a sleek new outer shell. Neat.

We reached out to The Pokémon Company to ask if Ultra Sun and Moon will be coming to the Nintendo Switch. Players are still holding out hope due to a web listing from this morning. UPDATE 11:30AM: The Pokemon Company tells Kotaku that it was a clerical error:

“We would like to address rumours based on a clerical error on the Pokémon press site; Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon are coming exclusively to Nintendo 3DS family of systems and are not due for release on Nintendo Switch. This listing on the Pokémon press site was made in error and is not indicative of future plans. Please refer to the Pokémon Direct for more game details.”


Some screenshots for your viewing pleasure:


Original story follows: Reportedly, fans such as neoGAF’s Atheerios spotted that the official Pokémon press page briefly listed Switch as a future platform:




Once we took a look, any mention of the Switch was gone:


The official press release sent to Kotaku, meanwhile, doesn’t mention platforms for Ultra Sun and Moon at all. Is it deliberate?

Today’s Pokémon Direct also brought the first look from the newest titles in the Pokémon series, Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon. Launching worldwide on November 17, more details on Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon will be revealed later this year.


In the past, Game Freak has not been coy about platforms, so it’s unclear if people are reading too much into it. We do know, however, that the 3DS is capable of communicating with the Switch, and Ultra Sun and Moon could take great advantage of that.