Pokémon Home announces pricing and release info – and fans have strong reactions
A few months after Pokémon Sword and Shield released, we finally know when we can transfer our Pocket Monsters from games past onto our Nintendo Switch consoles.
Yup, transfer app Pokemon HOME has announced its release window and the pricing strategy. It'll be coming to Switch as well as iOS and Android at some point in February.
This is where it gets a bit more confusing. The base version of the app will allow you to move your Pokémon between Sword and Shield and Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! BUT, if you move a creature from a Let's Go game to one of the Galar games, you can't move it back.
Related: Pokémon Sword and Shield expansion pass details revealed
You'll also be able to move Pokémon from your 3Ds games (X, Y, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, Ultra Moon and the download versions of Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver and Crystal) using the 3DS' Pokémon Bank app, but you'll need to be subscribed to the premium version to do that.
Bank itself also has a subscription fee of £4.49, but it will be free for a month after HOME's launch. Once again, you won't be able to move monsters back.
Pokémon Go compatibility is also coming at a later date.
HOME also comes with the ability to add and trade with friends, as well as make specific trades with anyone using the GTS, join Trade Rooms, use a new Wonder Box feature, and collect Battle Points to use on goodies within Sword and Shield.
The premium versions let you hold 6,000 Pokémon compared to 30, have more Pokémon in the GTS at once, the aforementioned Bank app compatibility and expansions to Wonder Boxes and Trade Rooms.
The premium version has a range of pricing options across the Switch/phone versions, costing £2.69/£2.99 for 30 days, £4.49/£4.99 for 90 days, and £14.49/£15.99 for 365 days.
That's all quite a lot to take in, and while the increase in price comes with a host of new features, fans are quite divided over whether it's actually worth it.
Pokemon Home is $15 a year and people are already jumping on either side of the "ur a baby" bandwagon.
Pokemon Bank was $5. Its okay for people who may not have higher incomes to feel intimidated at subscribing to what is essentially the same service for $10 more.— Clemps 🍑 (@MrClemps) January 28, 2020
Pokemon Home has so many incredible features beyond just storing mons. Has the collectors *dream* of pokedexes which tracks all your mons and the games they’re from, GTS, direct trading, GO comparability and more, for just over $1 a month and people are complaining? 🤡🤡🤡🤡
— Duncan MacLeod (@DuncanCantDie) January 28, 2020
I mean, it’s overpriced, but not egregiously so. I think requiring premium to transfer from bank is scummy.
— Rose EO Speedwagon #TogetherForPokemon (@GotNintendo) January 28, 2020
Pokemon HOME looks about what I expected from The Pokemon Company: overpriced for the feature set and super restrictive if you're not paying.
But hey, at least I can unlock stickers to play with! That's totally worth the $16/year subscription. :/ pic.twitter.com/zHxD9ZpKJw— The boy who cried "NYEH!" (@Zalno) January 28, 2020
Pokémon HOME is £14.39 for a year and I don't even get to use all of my Pokémon in Sword and Shield?!
That's a very big no thanks from me then!
Pokémon has been going downhill since Generation VI and it ended with Generation VII.
Enjoy paying not to play with your Pokémon! pic.twitter.com/9r6qXDgxO3— Steven Isbell (@StevenIsbell) January 28, 2020
Ouch. The Premium (usable) tier of Pokémon HOME is
3x more than Pokémon Bank at £14.39/year.
So having a full online experience with Pokémon on Switch now costs £50 for the game, £27 for expansion pass, and £33/year in subs (HOME + Nintendo Switch Online). A round £110. 😳— 🦊 KitsuneKurisu #TeamVulpix (@KitsuneKurisu) January 28, 2020
Pokémon Home looks perfect and much more than I was expecting out of the service. $16 a year is nothing for me.
— Graham Sword ⚔ (@itsa_me_gameboy) January 28, 2020
Well pokemon home is uber disappointing. Pushing the gts, mystery gifts,and national dex to a paid service is pretty lame. Im glad I didnt buy into this new gen. Also having to refresh pokemon bank for a whole year just to transfer sucks too. Pretty disappointing. pic.twitter.com/radwD1cNmi
— Waifusforworldpeace (@lewddino69) January 28, 2020
The argument of Pokemon Home being more expensive than Bank is just wrong
Bank you HAD to pay $5 for a year of use.
Home let's you pay $2 for one month to just transfer them all and be done.
It's cheaper unless you want those premium features.— Tanner Hearts ReΦMind (@TannerLPer) January 28, 2020
Ahh, sorry!! Yeah, it's definitely expensive but Pokémon has always had a shitty business model so I'm not surprised and Home does look better than Bank (should've been £10/year tho) the monthly packages aren't too bad though and the fact there's a free plan at all is good? pic.twitter.com/kG2UGtOqQ8
— Firlow 🌹🏳️🌈 @ doctor who (@Firlows) January 28, 2020
I especially hate the ‘it’s just pocket change, you’re just cheap if you complain about be price of Pokémon Home’ argument bc people said the same thing about Bank which was 5 USD and now it’s 3x more expensive.
— the bimbofication of crusadormon (@Moxagita) January 28, 2020
I know I'm hyped up for Pokemon HOME's release but,
$15.99 for 12 months for the premium version seems a little expensive if you were to solely get that just for sword and shield and the functionality. But older players with Bank will be paying nearly $21.99 a year + NSO— 💜🌙Thotticus-Maximus💜🤘 (@Wulfprince) January 28, 2020
Pokémon Home is $16/year? That’s a 320% or over 3x increase in cost from Pokémon Bank when it was $5/year. Pokémon is expensive this year.
— Eliseo Rocha (@rochaeliseo) January 28, 2020
yeah i think i'm just not doing pokémon home
way too expensive and the very existence of it alone makes me so mad— sienna (@trainersienna) January 28, 2020
But that's enough about people on Twitter. We want to know what you, the readers of Digital Spy, think about the price of Pokémon HOME.
Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield are available to buy on Nintendo Switch now.
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