Competitive Pokémon is on phones now, but you still need a Switch to become a champion

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The mobile version of Pokémon Champions isn’t allowed at high-level tournaments, but it’s unclear why.

To get started with competitive Pokémon battles, all you need is your phone. But to compete at the highest level, like at the Pokémon World Championships, you’re going to need a Switch. And there doesn’t seem to be a good reason why.

Battle simulator Pokémon Champions originally launched on the Switch and Switch 2 in April, with the mobile version following in June. The experience is nearly identical across the game’s versions; since it’s cross-platform, the choice really comes down to what devices you own and whether you prefer tapping or using a controller. I find myself playing Champions on my phone more often just because it’s always in my pocket and I’m blessed with unlimited data.

But at this year’s World Championships, the mobile version of Champions wasn’t allowed in competition. As of September 1st , certain local tournaments will allow the mobile version, but regional-level tournaments and above will still require Switch hardware to compete.

During a roundtable interview at Worlds last week — before the September 1st rules refresh — Champions producer Masaaki Hoshino addressed its absence from the competition. “The reason why we’re using Switch right now is just because graphics are quite nice on the Switch 2,” he said via an interpreter. “Also, because [with] mobile there’s just so many devices out there, if we allow people to bring their own devices, it can be a bit complicated from that perspective.”