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Each mainline entry into the Pokémon franchise goes above and beyond in delivering a more connected experience than last time. From trading Pokémon to battling rivals from across the world, multiplayer Pokémon has never been as exciting as it is now.
The latest Pokémon Scarlet and Violet most certainly continue this evolution, letting you engage with other players in all sorts of fun and novel ways.
More N4G Unlocked: Is Scarlet and Violet Connected to Pokémon Home?
Does Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Have a Multiplayer mode?
Yes, both Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet allow players to engage with other players in various multiplayer activities. Online cooperative and other multiplayer features are unlocked pretty early in your playthrough, which you can access as soon as you reach your first Pokécenter.
You can access the usual modern multiplayer features such as joining up Raid Battles, trading Pokémon, and battling friends by selecting the Poké Portal option from the in-game menu.
Additionally, there is now also the Union Circle feature where you can see your friends onscreen and their activities in the top corners while remaining in your own world. It’s quite a novel concept even for modern Pokémon games. To help you understand, we’ve summarized most of what you can do in Union Circle mode as well as its limitations down below:
- You can catch version exclusive Pokémon that only spawn around the player who owns that version
- You can raid together and earn LP and Tera Orb charges by interacting with raid crystals
- You can do mass outbreaks together
- You can pick up items without affecting the host’s items
- You can fast travel to any waypoints that you have unlocked in your own world
- You can picnic together, breed Pokémon, and take selfies with each other
- You can battle or trade Pokémon with friends from within the Union Circle feature without setting a link code to match up with players in your Union Circle
- You can still battle various opponents, though you cannot see your friends taking part in these battles
All of this makes the Union Circle feature one that enhances and connects the player’s experience without being invasive to their playthrough. You can access the Union Circle feature through the Poké Portal.
Can You Cross Play in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet?
All of the above multiplayer features are well and good, but can players on their Nintendo Switch engage with others who are on Playstation, Xbox, or PC? The answer is a definite no.
With Pokémon being one of the biggest Nintendo-exclusive video game properties, its games never really come out on any non-Nintendo console. This means that if your friends want to play the new Pokémon with you, then they’ll be required to first purchase and own a Nintendo Switch.
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