Does Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Have a Memory Leak Issue? Let’s Investigate

Well, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are going through a rough start. Although very enjoyable and loved by other, it is clear to say that many are arguing that the game is far from acceptable in terms of graphics, optimization, performance. Even the longevity and the sustainability of the Nintendo Switch is under scrutiny. People wonder whether we have reached the max capabilities of the console, and we need a long waited successor that can rival or even get close to the performance of the competitors, PlayStation and Xbox. And sure, I always say that new game releases often encounter several problems. But memory leaks? Now that is problematic. Does Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have a memory leak issue? Let’s investigate.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Memory Leak

So, all clues and reports are pointing at a memory leak in the game as the main issue that’s causing the lackluster performance in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. One does not have to be a programmer in order to identify such issue. Firstly, what’s a memory leak? In technical terms, it is the fragmentation of the systems’ memory (RAM) due to a faulty application or programming that doesn’t allow allocated resources to be released.

In other words, let’s say you are moving to a new place, and you have a lot of boxes. Normally, you would lift a box at a time in order to not strain yourself too much. A memory leak would be like carrying a box to the new house but not letting it go and go pick up an additional one. And that goes on and on. You could probably carry three or four boxes if you are really strong, but eventually you’re going to be overwhelmed by the weight of all the boxes and just fall. That is what’s happening with Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

What is happening specifically with the game is that whenever you visit a city, which is a place that needs a lot of resources to render, the performance will receive a hit. However, when leaving the city, the performance will still remain the same. A memory leak. And how do you fix a memory leak? Well, by restarting the platform. Restarting automatically frees all the RAM available. And that is what is fixing Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s memory leak (alongside other glitches or bugs).

What can we expect? Well, an update from the developers of the game. Restarting every time you visit a city is not a solution and will never be one. So let’s hope they release a fix, and fast. If they do, maybe all this talk about the Switch and performance issues can be settled.

Related: Can You Progress Story Mode While Playing Multiplayer in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet?

I hope you understood the concept of a memory leak and the implications it may have in a game as important as Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. I hope the developers take action now, otherwise they expose themselves to mostly valid, but sometimes unfair criticism. And boy have they received a lot of it.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is available on Nintendo Switch. If you like our Pokémon content, be sure to check out How to Complete the Olive Roll Challenge in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet and How to Evolve Scatterbug in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.