Casual fans of the
Pokémon franchise may have heard of
Pokémon Bank even though it has been around since 2014. The service is an application which allows trainers to deposit, store, and manage their Pokémon on the internet for a charge.
Of course, since the platform was launched on the 3DS, the service is in turn limited to certain games, such as
Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, Sun and Moon, and any other title that can be played on the Nintendo 3DS. Trainers are able to utilize the service to store the creatures from their games and trade them in between titles.
Thanks to the launch of
Pokémon Home, however,
Pokémon Bank will no longer be limited to a single console and it's games when it comes to trading. The new service which is set to release in February is similar to
Bank except it will have versions both for the Nintendo Switch as well as for compatible mobile devices, allowing trainers to connect their
Pokémon Bank to
Pokémon Sword and Shield, Pokémon: Let's Go! Pikachu and Let's Go! Eevee, and eventually even
Pokémon Go.
Both versions are going to be launching in February, even if a specific date has yet to be announced. Players should connect the same Nintendo account accross both devices so that they can access their box in both places, allowing them to transfer and trade creatures on the go. Compatibility with
Pokémon Go is also coming to
Pokémon Home, which will bring with it a whole slew of possibilities, but that will be at a later date.
There are two versions of
Pokémon Home that will be released. The first is the free Basic version while the Premium version costs $3.00 for a month, $5.00 for three months, and $16.00 for a year. Take a look at the differences between the plans below to help you decide which would be best for your level of gameplay.
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Moving Pokémon from Pokémon Bank is only available in the Premium version.
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Basic members can deposit 30 Pokémon while Premium members can deposit 6,000.
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Basic members can place 3 Pokémon in the Wonder Box at once while Premium members can place 10.
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Basic members can place 1 Pokémon in the Global Trading System at a time while Premium members can place 3.
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Basic members can only participate in Room Trade while Premium members also have the ability to host.
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Basic members cannot acceess the Judge function while Premium members can.
What do you guys think of these Pokémon Home features? Do you think you'll be going for the Basic or the Premium version when it releases next month? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield will be set in Galar, an expansive region with many environments—idyllic countryside, contemporary cities, thick forests, and craggy, snow-covered mountains. The people and Pokémon live together in this region, and they’ve worked together to develop the industries here.
Pokémon Sword and
Pokémon Shield are currently available exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. Pre-order the expansion passes
Isle of Armor and
Crown Tundra here for $29.99.