Pokémon HOME Compatibility

Have you ever wondered how the intriguing mechanisms behind Pokémon exchanges work across platforms?

In this guide, we will clarify how Poké Transporter, Pokémon Bank and Pokémon HOME work!

Rember that the 3DS eShop will close on March 27, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. PDT so don't forget to download Poké Transporter and Pokémon Bank to have them for free!

??We remind you that the Nintendo 3DS eShop will close on March 27??
Don't forget to download Poké Transporter and Pokémon Bank on your Nintendo 3DS to be able to transfer Pokémon from old games up to Scarlet & Violet (once available)? pic.twitter.com/b0qe2KXeCd

— Makio & JRoses | pokeos.com (@makio_jroses) March 17, 2023

In this article, we will focus on Poké Transporter and Pokémon Bank, so we won't explain how to transfer Pokémon from the oldest games, like from Emerald to Diamond or from Diamond to White.

How to transfer from Black/White, Black2/White2 and Virtual Console games to Pokémon Bank

Poké Transporter is a software released in 2013 for the Nintendo 3DS that allows you to transfer Pokémon from Nintendo DS games to Pokémon Bank; it's compatible with several Nintendo DS games, including Pokémon Black, White, Black 2, and White 2.

You can also trasfer Pokémon from the Virtual Console on Nintendo 3DS: Pokémon Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver and Crystal.

Remember, once a Pokémon is transferred to Pokémon Bank it cannot be transfered back to the original game!

To use Poké Transporter, you need to have a copy of the aforementioned DS games and a Nintendo 3DS console. You can download Poké Transporter from the Nintendo eShop for free.

After downloading the software, open it and select the game from which you want to transfer your Pokémon. Then select the Pokémon that you want to transfer and move them to your Pokémon Bank boxes.

How to transfer from X/Y, Alpha Sapphire/Omega Ruby, Sun/Moon, Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon to Pokémon Bank

Pokémon Bank is a cloud-based storage service that allows you to store your Pokémon online. It was released in 2013 for the Nintendo 3DS family.

Pokémon Bank is compatible with several Pokémon games, including Pokémon X, Y, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.

You can transfer Pokémon back and forth from Bank to the original game!

(Obviusly you can transfer the Pokémon from Bank if it's available in the target game: for example 7th generation Pokémon cannot be transferred to X and Y)

To use Pokémon Bank, you need to have a Nintendo 3DS or 2DS console. The subscription will be free from March 27, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. PDT, and can be downloaded from the Nintendo eShop.

Download the Pokémon Bank software from the Nintendo eShop and open it. Then select the game that you want to transfer Pokémon from and follow the instructions to transfer your Pokémon to your Pokémon Bank boxes.

How to transfer from Pokémon Bank to Pokémon HOME

Pokémon HOME is another storage service that allows you to store your Pokémon online. It was released in 2020 for the Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android devices.

To transfer Pokémon from Pokémon Bank to Pokémon HOME, you need to have a Nintendo Switch console and a Pokémon HOME subscription. The subscription costs $2.99 per month, $4.99 per quarter, or $15.99 per year and can be purchased from the Nintendo eShop or the Pokémon HOME mobile app.

After purchasing the subscription, download the Pokémon HOME software from the Nintendo eShop and open it.

Then select the Pokémon Bank option and follow the instructions to transfer your Pokémon from Pokémon Bank to Pokémon HOME.

Remember, once a Pokémon is transferred from Pokémon Bank to HOME it cannot be transfered back!

Pokémon HOME is compatible with some Pokémon games, including Pokémon Sword, Shield, Let's Go Pikachu, Let's Go Eevee, Brilliant Diamond, Shining Pearl, Legends Arceus and Pokémon GO.

Pokémon Scarlet & Violet compatibility will be added early this year!

Conclusion

Transferring Pokémon from 3DS to Switch involves using Pokémon Transporter to transfer Pokémon from the Nintendo DS games to Pokémon Bank and then transferring Pokémon from Pokémon Bank to Pokémon HOME. This process requires a Nintendo 3DS or DSi console and a Nintendo Switch console with a Pokémon HOME subscription.

There are however limitations, as in the case of pokemon transferred from Let’s Go pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee that must necessarily come from this game in order to be moved in both directions. There are also some Pokémon that can’t be transferred like some events Pokémon or some special Pokémon forms.

For this occasion we have added a new feature to the Pokédex: you can filter and view all regional Pokédexes from all mainline Pokémon games!

In this way you will be able to see which Pokémon are also available in the old games, it could be useful to complete your living dex on Pokémon HOME!

With these tools, you can transfer your beloved Pokémon from the old Nintendo DS games to the new Nintendo Switch games and continue your Pokémon journey!