A modder is creating a Pokemon Scarlet 60FPS mod to try and make Trainers' journey through Paldea just a little less rough. While the games have been largely well-received, they've come under criticism for their performance, and this new mod is intended to correct that to some degree.
In our Pokemon Scarlet and Violet review, we noted that although the games are making some important leaps forward in design terms, they're very rough technically, with lots of hitches, glitches, and framerate drops. Now, modder theboy181 has revealed that they're working to create a Scarlet 60FPS mod that makes the games run at a silky-smooth, consistent framerate.
The modder has posted two sets of footage for the mod so far. In the first, the player is standing outside a Paldean town and watching the blades of a windmill move smoothly through the air. In another, they're riding Koraidon past a Pokemon Center and through the South Province, with the framerate looking much better and less juddery than in the Switch version of the games.
At the moment, the mod is only for Pokemon Scarlet. Modder theboy181, whose real name is Jason, says they will also work on adding the new features into Violet if they reach an appropriate amount of donations. For now, though, Jason's goal is to "make a 60FPS mod and improve a few things" including camera speed and other technical details.
It's worth noting that the mod doesn't appear to fix all of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's visual and performance woes. Characters still pop in at a short distance, for example, and there are a couple of technical glitches visible even in the modded version of the game. Additionally, when entering some busier areas, the framerate appears to dip to around 50, which is admittedly still much better than Scarlet and Violet's base framerate on Switch.
If you want to play this Pokemon Scarlet 60FPS mod as soon as possible, you'll need to cough up a fairly big donation of $25, which will get you access to the mod this Friday for testing. If you donate less than that, you'll be considered a "tier 3" donor, which will likely get you playing the mod before full release but not as early as the tier 2 folks. Jason's plan right now is for the project to take just three weeks, so it shouldn't be long before you can play it.
Jason, or theboy181, is also working on a handful of other mods for Switch games, including performance enhancement mods for Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and a widescreen mod for Astral Chain, among others. Be sure to keep an eye on their Twitter feed for more info about the Pokemon mod and anything else they're working on. You can also join their Discord for a more up-to-the-minute look at what's going on.
Are you adventuring through the world of Paldea right now? Looking to make the most of your time in this bold new Pokemon open world? Check out our Pokemon Scarlet and Violet guides!
