I've been a Pokemon fan since the 90s and I'm finding it impossible to ignore these incredibly low Switch game deals at Woot

Images of three Nintendo Switch Pokemon games on a purple GamesRadar patterned background.
(Image credit: Future/Nintendo)

Pokemon fans have long since come to terms with the fact that Nintendo doesn't like to discount its games too often. If you ever want the latest game in the series, there's always an expectation you're going to pay close to full price. This is why big sales events can be vital to finally experiencing the latest Pokemon games for fans on a budget.

Big sales events, like today's President's Day, where now you can grab Pokemon Scarlet for just $42.99 at Woot, saving you $17 off its MSRP for $59.99. This is the lowest price I've ever spotted for the latest mainline game in the series, which usually sits above the $50 mark at other big retailers. Pokemon Violet is also down to a new record low, now just $41.99 at Woot, for anyone who has yet to experience Generation 9 for themselves.

It's not just the mainline games that are seeing some record lows, but Woot has also dropped the price of major Switch releases, from Detective Pikachu Returns to Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Rescue Team DX. Woot has been leading the way with President's Day deals for gamers before today even began, so I recommend picking up what you can while stocks last. Plus, there's only four days left of these current low prices, so you'll have to act fast if you want to catch 'em all for your Nintendo Switch.

Detective Pikachu Returns | $49.99 $39.99 at WootSave $10 - 

Detective Pikachu Returns | $49.99 $39.99 at Woot
Save $10 - 
The Detective Pikachu game sequel is part of the President's Day Woot game deals, saving you $10 off its MSRP of $49.99. That small saving may not seem like a huge deal, but this is the lowest I've ever spotted for Detective Pikachu Returns, which is currently even more expensive on Amazon's main storefront.

Buy it if: 

✅ You loved the first Detective Pikachu game
✅ You're a fan of the Detective Pikachu film
✅ You like exploring detailed 3D enviornments

Don't buy it if: 

❌ You're expecting classic Pokemon battles
❌ You don't like mystery solving games

Price check: Walmart: $43.16 | Best Buy: $49.99

Pokemon Scarlet | $59.99 $42.99 at WootSave $17 - 

Pokemon Scarlet | $59.99 $42.99 at Woot
Save $17 - 
Pokemon Scarlet has been out for a while, but as the last mainline entry in the Pokemon series it's rarely seen any major discounts. Thanks to Woot, however, Scarlet has dropped to its lowest ever price of just $42.99, saving you $17 off its MSRP of $59.99. I haven't seen the price drop this low since last summer, making this one of the best Switch game deals right now.

Buy it if: 

✅ You love the mainline Pokemon games
✅ You want an open-world Pokemon experience
✅ You love Gen 9 Pokemon

Don't buy it if: 

❌ You prefer Pokemon side games
❌ You'd prefer Pokemon Violet

Price check: Walmart: $48.99 | Best Buy: $59.99

Pokemon Violet | $59.99 $41.99 at WootSave $18 - 

Pokemon Violet | $59.99 $41.99 at Woot
Save $18 - 
If you prefer the box art of Pokemon Violet over Scarlet, then you're in luck as Woot has also dropped its hefty $59.99 MSRP to just $41.99, saving you $18 in the process. This is the lowest price I've ever seen for Violet, which has only dropped as low as $46 in the past - making it one of the best Switch game deals I've found today.

Buy it if: 

✅ You want to catch Gen 9 Pokemon
✅ You want to explore an open-world Pokemon game
✅ You want to play the most recent mainline game

Don't buy it if: 

❌ You'd prefer to play Pokemon Scarlet
❌ You prefer Pokemon side games

Price check: Walmart: $51.89 | Best Buy: $59.99

Pokemon Sword | $59.99 $44.99 at WootSave $15 - 

Pokemon Sword | $59.99 $44.99 at Woot
Save $15 - 
Despite releasing a whole generation ago, Pokemon Sword is still typically found above the $50 mark, making this discount worth highlighting. Thanks to Amazon's Woot, you can grab the previous mainline Pokemon game for just $44.99, a whole 30% off its MSRP of $59.99. A saving of just $15 may not seem huge, but this is the lowest I've seen for Sword so far.

Buy it if: 

✅ You missed the previous mainline game
✅ You prefer having small open-world sections to catch Pokemon
✅ You love Gen 8 Pokemon

Don't buy it if: 

❌ You'd prefer Pokemon Shield
❌ You want a less linear adventure

Price check: Walmart: $53.50 | Best Buy: $59.99 (Digital)

Pokemon Shield | $59.99 $39.99 at WootSave $20 - 

Pokemon Shield | $59.99 $39.99 at Woot
Save $20 - 
Pokemon Shield is even more affordable than Sword at Woot, coming in at a saving of 33% off its MSRP of $59.99. For just $39.99 you can grab the second-last mainline Pokemon game, and save yourself $20 in the process.

Buy it if: 

✅ You haven't yet experienced this generation
✅ You love the Gen 8 Pokemon
✅ You want a more linear adventure

Don't buy it if: 

❌ You'd prefer Pokemon Sword
❌ You want an open-world adventure start to finish

Price check: Walmart: $49.50 | Best Buy: $59.99

Pokemon Scarlet | $59.99 $41.99 at WootSave $18 - 

Pokemon Scarlet | $59.99 $41.99 at Woot
Save $18 - 
This isn't the lowest I've ever spotted for Pokemon Mystery Dungeon. However, Woot has dropped the Switch game to only $2 more than its lowest ever price on Amazon. With a current saving of $18, the Switch game is even lower than its current Amazon sale price, making this still one of the best Pokemon game deals I've found today.

Buy it if: 

✅ You loved the original GBA games
✅ Dungeon crawlers are your jam
✅ You want to play as a Pokemon

Don't buy it if: 

❌ You didn't enjoy the original games
❌ You prefer the mainline Pokemon games

Price check: Walmart: $52.88 | Best Buy: $59.99 (Digital)

Should you buy Nintendo Switch Pokemon games in 2025?

Photo taken by writer Rosalie Newcombe of the Pokeball Plus controller for Nintendo Switch.

(Image credit: Future/Rosalie Newcombe)

It's impossible not to bring up the Nintendo Switch 2 when discussing buying brand-new Pokemon games for the Switch. Nintendo has yet to give us an official release date for when we can expect the upcoming handheld, however with the Nintendo Direct planned on April 2, it's safe to say sometime this year we'll finally get our hands on the new device. With that in mind, I completely understand any hesitancy about grabbing games for the current Switch when its new, shiny counterpart is on its way - but trust me, it's always a good time to buy Pokemon games.

For one, Nintendo confirmed during the January 16 reveal that the handheld will be backwards compatible with physical game carts, like the ones part of these Woot savings. They elaborated on that good news stating that "certain Nintendo Switch games may not be supported on or fully compatible with Nintendo Switch 2", which could very well include some Pokemon games. However, without a full list of compatible games available as of typing, I'd still recommend grabbing these games. Especially if you aren't planning to get rid of your current Switch any time soon.

Additionally, physical Pokemon games have the tendency to become collector's items in the US (and here in the UK) over time. Right now, my collection of physical games, from Pokemon Yellow, Pokemon Crystal, to even my boxed copy of Pokemon Soul Silver on the DS could collectively pay for the new Switch 2, even if its price point ends up costing a ton. While it's not a good thing Pokemon games become more expensive over time, it does put the pressure on buying them before they see any dramatic price increases, like now while they're heavily discounted. Plus, if the Pokemon Switch games do follow their predecessors, you can always sell them second-hand to fund whatever brand-new Pokemon games find their way on the Nintendo Switch 2 in the future.

Check out our guides to the best Nintendo Switch SD cards, the best Nintendo Switch controllers, and the best Nintendo Switch headset to complete your ultimate Ninty gaming setup.

TOPICS
Rosalie Newcombe
Hardware Editor

Ever since I first held a NES controller in my hand I've been obsessed with gaming, and the hardware it runs on. I could hook up a NES and SNES to a telly, without instructions, before I could walk. Even now, nothing is more exciting then taking a console, or handheld, out the box for the first time and setting it up. This obsession transformed into a love of games and game music, which lead to my music degree and dream of becoming the Scottish Nobuo Uematsu. After sharing my love of games through music, I began to share my love through words on sites like TechRadar and iMore. This lead to becoming a Hardware staff writer for PCGamesN, and later the Senior Tech Writer for Dexerto, covering all things Steam Deck, PlayStation and Nintendo. With that experience, I was able to level up as Hardware Editor for GamesRadar+, where I'm still just as Nintendo, PlayStation and gaming tech obsessed as ever.

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