Pokemon Home Available Now

Pokemon fans can now download Pokemon Home on the Nintendo Switch. The cloud-based storage service allows players to transfer Pokemon from Pokemon games into a central storage hub, with players able to trade Pokemon using the Global Trade System, or bring Pokemon into Pokemon Sword and Shield (and likely future Pokemon games.) While the service is free to use, a premium subscription is needed to unlock all of the feature's services, which includes storing up to 3000 Pokemon and checking a Pokemon's IVs.

While the service is available to download for the Nintendo Switch, players can still look forward to more updates and content in the future. A mobile app will also be added soon, and players will eventually be able to transfer Pokemon from Pokemon Go into Pokemon Home.

As part of the release of Pokemon Home, the Pokemon Company has also made the Pokemon Bank, a Nintendo 3DS cloud storage system, free for the next month. Players can transfer Pokemon from Pokemon X and Y, Pokemon Sun and Moon, Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, and Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon into Pokemon Home using the Pokemon Bank. It is noted that transfers from older games are permanent - once a Pokemon is transferred into Pokemon Home, it can't be put back into older games. Players can transfer Pokemon back and forth between Pokemon Home and Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu and Pokemon, Let's Go, Eevee but once that Pokemon is put into Pokemon Sword and Shield, it can't be put back into the Pokemon: Let's Go games.

Players can download Pokemon Home from the Nintendo eShop for free. A premium year-long subscription will cost $15.99, with monthly and quarterly plans also available.