Competitive Pokémon is on phones now, but you still need a Switch to become a champion
Pokémon Champions, a battle simulator launched on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 in April, expanded to mobile devices in June. The game delivers nearly identical gameplay experiences across all platforms with full cross-platform functionality, enabling players to choose between touchscreen controls on mobile devices or controller inputs on consoles based on their preference. The simultaneous availability across multiple device types represents a significant step toward making competitive Pokémon battles more accessible to a broader audience.
However, The Pokémon Company has prohibited the mobile version from competing at high-level competitive tournaments, including the prestigious Pokémon World Championships, while permitting Switch versions to participate at the highest competitive levels. This restriction presents an apparent contradiction, given that the core gameplay experience remains unchanged between platforms. The reasoning behind this eligibility policy is unclear, and no official justification has been provided for why identical gameplay should result in different tournament access depending on whether the game is played on a mobile device or a console.