Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Everything we know about New Pokémon Snap

Jon Bitner
By

New Pokémon Snap was first revealed by Nintendo last year, although the company remained quiet for several months following the initial announcement. Over the past few weeks, however, we’ve learned a lot more about the upcoming Pokémon game — thanks to a new trailer and various announcements from Nintendo.

Nintendo is going big with the Pokémon Snap reboot, and there’s a lot of great content packed into this fun spin-off game. From trailers and gameplay to pre-order bonuses and multiplayer, here’s everything we know about New Pokémon Snap.

Further reading

Recommended Videos

New Pokémon Snap info at a glance

  • Release Date: April 30, 2021
  • Price: $59.99
  • Consoles: Nintendo Switch
  • Developer: Bandai Namco Studios
  • Publisher: Nintendo

Release date

Nintendo has finally announced an official release date of April 30 for New Pokémon Snap. It’s a fitting year for the game to launch, as 2021 marks Pokémon’s 25th anniversary. And while Pokémon Snap might not have the same massive audience as Sword & Shield, there’s no denying the strange spin-off’s appeal.

Which consoles is New Pokémon Snap launching on?

New Pokémon Snap is only confirmed for a Nintendo Switch release. Seeing as Nintendo doesn’t like to release Pokémon titles on consoles outside its own, it’s highly unlikely we’ll see the game ported to Xbox Series X or PS5. There’s also no word on a 3DS or Wii U version.

New Pokémon Snap trailers

There are currently two trailers available for New Pokémon Snap — an announcement trailer and a release date reveal trailer. The announcement trailer was released last June, giving fans a sneak peek of the Pokémon-snapping action and a quick tour of the game’s locales.

The release date reveal trailer offered much the same — revealing a few more Pokémon not seen in the first trailer — and even showing off a few gameplay mechanics. It’s still short — clocking in at just over one and a half minutes — but is more than enough to get fans excited for the upcoming title.

Gameplay

New Pokémon Snap follows the same formula as the original 1999 game. You’ll step into the role of a young photographer, tasked with snapping incredible pictures of Pokémon in your region and investigating the Illumina phenomenon that causes certain Pokémon to glow. Each level is on rails, meaning the game will automatically move you through each stage — think of it as a slow-moving theme park ride. Along the way, you can use various items to encourage Pokémon to move closer to your camera and interact with one another.

At the end of each level, Professor Mirror — not Professor Oak — will rate your photos and give you a final grade. Pictures that put Pokémon front and center tend to earn a higher grade, although you’ll still earn great scores for shots with multiple Pokémon. However, if you can get them to interact with their environment or each other in creative ways, you’re bound to pull in the best grade from Professor Mirror.

New Pokémon Snap is an interesting take on the original, as it’s part remake, part reimagining. Many of the same mechanics make a return, but the game takes place in a new region — called the Lental region — with new characters. There will also be more Pokémon in New Pokémon Snap than there were in the original, as Nintendo said more than 200 will make an appearance. Best of all, the game will include unlockable areas for each map. Earn high enough marks from Professor Mirror and he’ll give you access to new parts of each stage, giving you a tangible reason to come back and keep playing.

The announcement of the new Lental region has led to speculation that we’ll also see new Pokémon make an appearance. While it’s yet to be confirmed by Nintendo, it’d be strange to head to a completely new section of the Pokémon universe and not see a few new faces.

Multiplayer

Nintendo recently updated New Pokémon Snap‘s product page, adding a tag for online play. While that’s led to plenty of speculation from fans, Nintendo is yet to announce what those features will be. Even stranger, the game is still listed as a single-player title without any mention of multiplayer.

The most likely reason for the online play tag is a leaderboards feature, letting you compare your scores with friends around the world. Nintendo is a bit behind the times when it comes to multiplayer, so this simple inclusion seems like the most likely explanation. As great as it’d be to see New Pokémon Snap become a co-op experience, there’s currently no reason to believe Nintendo has added that functionality.

DLC plans

No DLC has been announced for New Pokémon Snap. However, we wouldn’t be surprised to see an announcement in the future. Although the game features more than 200 Pokémon, there are plenty more that could be added through downloadable content. Sword & Shield saw huge sales with its expansions, so it would only make sense for Nintendo to continue the trend with its latest Pokémon game.

Pre-order bonuses

New Pokémon Snap is only available in one version that retails for $59.99. There are also currently no pre-order bonuses, so feel free to wait to pick up the title after you read a few reviews. It’s available for pre-order at most major retailers along with the official Nintendo eShop. The file size clocks in at a respectable 6.8GB, meaning you won’t need to clear too much storage space to join in on the picture-taking fun.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Jon Bitner
Jon Bitner
Jon Bitner is a freelance journalist whose gaming addiction began with the SEGA Genesis. His work has been published on…
Pokémon Presents February 2023: how to watch and what to expect
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet protagonist holding glowing Poke Ball

Pokémon Day 2023 is nearly upon us, and it will bring another Pokémon Presents showcase full of exciting announcements regarding the long-running series. As Pokémon Scarlet and Violet were quite successful despite technical problems, a lot of fans are curious to learn what's next, both for those individual titles and the franchise as a whole.
Pokémon fans who want to learn about the series' future should certainly tune into this presentation. If you're wondering how to watch it and what kinds of announcements to expect for the first Pokémon Presents of 2023, we've rounded up all of that information here for you.
When is the February 2023 Pokémon Presents?
This Pokémon Presents showcase will start at 6 a.m. PT on February 27, which is Pokémon Day, as well as the 27th anniversary of the series. The Pokémon Company says the presentation will last "around 20 minutes." 
How to watch
The February 27 Pokémon Presents will be officially live-streamed on the main Pokémon YouTube Channel. We'll embed the live stream below ahead of the presentation. Other sites and Pokémon-themed content creators will likely be co-streaming the event as well. 
https://twitter.com/Pokemon/status/1628032454295531522
What to expect
Unfortunately, The Pokémon Company was light on giving any real hints as to what we'll see during this Nintendo Direct-like presentation. But if this showcase falls in line with previous Pokémon Presents live streams, then we can expect it to give us an overview of all the big Pokémon titles coming out this year. Currently, we don't know if any brand-new Pokémon games are launching in 2023; if there aren't, then hopefully we'll see some DLC for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. 
Some leaks may have also spoiled some of the Pokémon Presents' surprises. Leakers have found data for more new Pokémon forms that could potentially come to Scarlet and Violet via updates. Meanwhile, fans found mention of Spike Chunsoft in the new Pokémon Together website's source code, so it seems likely that a new Pokémon Mystery Dungeon from that developer is coming soon. Regardless of what's actually announced, February 27 is shaping up to be a really exciting day for Pokémon fans. 

Read more
The best multiplayer games on Nintendo Switch
Mario and his friends.

Part of the Nintendo Switch's appeal is its versatility -- you can play it at home on your TV or on the go in portable mode. This versatility also applies to multiplayer and co-op games, which can be played with single Joy-Con controllers, in tabletop mode, and wirelessly both online and locally. Better yet, many of these Nintendo Switch games allow for crossplay with other consoles and PCs.

And while the Switch might not be the competitive powerhouse that the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are, it still offers an incredible library of multiplayer games. In fact, the portable console is home to some of the best co-op experiences we've seen in this generation, and new competitive games are being added all the time. Here are our favorites, whether you're a fan of raucous racing games, mellow simulators, or monster-hunting titles of the finest caliber.
The best multiplayer games on Nintendo Switch

Read more
MLB The Show 23 returns to Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch this March
Jazz Chisholm's cover art for MLB The Show 23.

Sony San Diego Studios announced MLB The Show 23 today, and confirmed that it will launch across all major PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo systems on March 28. 
No new platforms were added this year, so PC players aren't getting in on the fun. Still, this announcement makes it clear that MLB The Show is a multiplatform series across PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo platforms for the foreseeable future. Xbox's version of the trailer also confirms that MLB The Show 23 will be on Xbox Game Pass at launch, making this first-party Sony series a day-one Game Pass title three years in a row. 
MLB The Show 23 - Cover Athlete Reveal
As is typically the case with sports games, MLB The Show 23's reveal was primarily focused on its cover athlete. We learned that Jazz Chisholm Jr., a second baseman for the Miami Marlins, will grace the cover of the game. Like last year, the PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch versions of the game will cost $60, while players  on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S without Xbox Game Pass will need to pay $70. So far, no new gameplay features have been teased, although a blog post confirms that cross-platform multiplayer, saves, and progression across all versions of the game will return this year. 
So far, there's not a lot that actually seems new about MLB The Show 23, but this reveal concludes the genesis of a new era for the long-running baseball series. MLB The Show 23 will be released for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch on March 28. 

Read more