The Pokémon Company is slowly adding more Pokémon-related content into gamers’ lives. Besides the release of the newest game on the Nintendo Switch, Pokémon Sword and Shield, plus Pokémon GO, the company has announced another service.
Pokémon Home is an upcoming cloud service launching worldwide this year. The official release date has recently been announced.
The news was made official during the latest Pokémon Direct held earlier in January.
Pokémon Home is a storage system that lets players store and transfer Pokémon between games. Players can access their Pokémon from devices where Pokémon Home is installed.
Those experienced with the Pokémon Bank should understand the basics of the service, which has been upgraded for modern devices. However, unlike Pokémon Bank, Pokémon Home will be free to download. It’s unknown where any additional added costs will be in the future. These details will likely be announced closer to the service’s launch.
Pokémon Home is a cloud service that will be free-to-download. There are additional purchases that will be available through the app in the future. The service will be available on iOS, Android, and the Nintendo Switch.
Through the cloud service, players can manage, transfer and store Pokémon from the games Pokémon: Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee, the Pokémon Bank, and Pokémon GO.
The service was first announced in May 2019, but now more details have been announced closer to the service’s release. It’s currently unknown exactly which in-app purchases will be available. This may include increased storage, buying more treats and other power-ups for Pokémon in storage, and more.
There are a few more features, with more on the way. When the service launches, players can view Rankings of other Pokémon, the events calendar, and any other distribution regulations that may hinder which Pokémon can be traded.
Players must be online to use the service. Players that have the service installed on a mobile phone can access their storage of Pokémon and trade with anyone across the globe. The service has only one name, “Pokémon Home,” so there will likely be few transfer restrictions.
Pokémon Sword and Shield is the newest installment in the Pokémon series. The game features a brand new region called Galar, with new Pokémon to find and befriend. The release of Pokémon Home will allow players to add in many of their past favorites, although they can’t transfer Sword and Shield Pokémon into the previous games for now.
Pokémon Home will launch worldwide next month, February 2020.