Shiny Pokémon are highly coveted Pokémon variants, and they seem to be appearing more often inPokémon Scarlet and Violet.Shinies are a different-color, sparkling version of existing Pokémon that have a very low chance of spawning across thePokémontitles. Some fans make it their mission to find and capture every shiny Pokémon, a task that can be very difficult considering how rare the mutation is.
There’s no stat difference betweenshiny and non-shiny variants of Pokémon, buttheir rarity and special color schemes make them very popular among collectors. The latest game duo in the series,Pokémon Scarlet and Violet,has a similar shiny spawn rate as previous titles, but this seems to have changed recently. Fans are reporting that playing eitherScarletorVioleton the Switch 2 seems to make shinies more likely to appear. But is this true—and if not, then what’s really going on?
Shiny Pokémon Are More Common On Scarlet & Violet For Switch 2
Players Are Encountering Shinies Much More Frequently On The New Console
Earlier this month,Pokémon Scarlet and Violetboth received an update to optimize the two Switch titles for the Switch 2. Unlike many other upgrade packs, which are generally priced at around $9.99, theseSwitch 2 updates were completely free. Installing them improves the game’s graphics, rendering them at a higher resolution for larger TV screens. It also increases the frame rate for a much smoother experience when playing on themore powerful Nintendo Switch 2.
What the update didn’t do was change any gameplay aspects, withno mention at all made of shiny Pokémon spawn rates. However, fans returning to the Paldea region on their new Switch 2 consoles quickly discovered that something seems to have changed regarding shinies. Anecdotal evidence suggests thatScarlet and Violetplayers are encountering shiny Pokémon more often in their adventures.
Shiny Pokémon were introduced to the games in the 1999Pokémon Gold and Silvergames. These variations had different color schemes and sparkled when they entered combat.
Where once, players could go for hundreds of hours without encountering a single shiny, fans are now finding them within a few hours of starting the game. According toRotomLabs, the base spawn rate for a shiny Pokémon in the gen-9 titles is 1/4096, or about 0.024%, and this hasn’t changed since the update. But the fact remains that,even though the shiny spawn rate is the same, players are finding more of them.
More Spawns Mean More Shiny Chances, Even Though Odds Aren’t Increased
The Number Of Pokémon That Can Spawn At One Time Has Doubled
Here’s what’s actually going on. The Nintendo Switch 2 is amuch more powerful devicethan its predecessor, whichallows it to run games at a higher frame rate and generally improves game performance. This is true even for Switch games that don’t have a dedicated update, with games like the notoriously buggyBatman: Arkham KnightSwitch port performing significantly better on the Switch 2.
There are a few ways toincrease shiny spawn rateeven more inPokémon Scarlet and Violet. The three most common and effective shiny-rate improvement methods are:
Using a Shiny Charm, which you get for completing the Paldea Pokédex
Mass Outbreaks increase the chances of finding shiny versions of the Pokémon featured in the outbreak
Making sandwiches with Herba Mystica grants you Sparkling Power, which increases shiny spawn rate
InPokémon Scarlet and Violet, the performance improvement update has theunintended side effect ofincreasing the number of Pokémon that can spawn at the same time in one place.It’s alsoincreased the draw distance, allowing players to see further into the distance in-game, helping them to spot interesting Pokémon from further away.
According to a chart onSerebii, which details the changes brought about by the Switch 2 update,the number of Pokémon that can spawn simultaneously has more than doubled from 16 to 36. If one out of every 4096 Pokémon is shiny, and you’re seeing twice as many Pokémon at any particular moment, thenyou’ll be finding shinies twice as fast.
Simply put, the more Pokémon you come across on your journeys across the Paldea region ofPokémon Scarlet and Violet,the higher your chances are that one of them will be a shiny version. And, since the Nintendo Switch 2 allows you to see more Pokémon at a time, you’re much more likely to come across one of the rare and elusive shiny variants.
