Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire Switch Ports Confirmed In New Official Update

Published Oct 15, 2026, 6:30 AM EDT

Known as 'Cyberpunk 2077's' biggest fan, Angharad is a Welsh games writer who thrives in anything related to digital storytelling. If a video game explores the intricacies and horrors of womanhood, she is there.

Thanks to previous work at GAMINGbible, GameByte, The Loadout, Game Luster, Angharad has built a strong understanding of both the digital world and what fans want from it and is eager to share her thoughts and expertise with readers.

Released back in 2002 for the Game Boy Advance, Pokémon Ruby Version and Pokémon Sapphire Version received somewhat mixed reviews from players due to their incompatibility with older generations, reliance on water-based routes, and lack of ambition and improvements from previous entries. That being said, they went on to become the best-selling titles for the Game Boy Advance, so take that as you will.

Nevertheless, over two decades on, Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire are remembered fondly, but despite receiving a remake in 2014 with the launch of Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, the original 2002 games are not yet available on the Nintendo Switch, much to fan's dismay.

However, there may be light on the horizon, as Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire have finally been confirmed to be heading to the Nintendo Switch in a brand-new update.

For a bit of background, the national Pokédex for Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen can only be completed if a player has access to titles in Gen 3. Back in the day, this was achievable courtesy of the ability to trade with other Game Boy Advance titles, including Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, or Emerald. However, with these titles not being available on the Nintendo Switch, completing the Pokédex is not possible on modern consoles, especially as there is no compatibility between the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo Switch.

However, fans soon came to the rescue when Gen 3 games were datamined and believed to be heading to the Nintendo Switch after long last, and that is where the latest discovery brings us.

In a brand-new Pokémon Home update that went live on 7 October, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen players have been treated to a free Celebi. However, in a more interesting turn of events, users noticed that the app has a dedicated section for Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen called "GBA games". This raised suspicions as it would seem unnecessary to include this option if FireRed and LeafGreen were the only titles from the GBA era.

Custom Image by Matthew Wilcox

So, by putting all the information together, including this brand-new "GBA games" update, the previous datamined information, and the knowledge that players cannot complete the national Pokédex without the inclusion of Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, or Emerald, it would seem as though it has been all but confirmed that these entries will soon be receiving a Nintendo Switch port.

Of course, Nintendo or Game Freak itself has not yet confirmed this information in an official statement, but when it comes to the information fans have gathered, it is hard not to believe that an announcement is just around the corner.

On top of that, the Japanese Pokémon Twitter/X account recently shared footage of Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire on an unknown emulator. However, with the footage boasting HD graphics and much brighter colors than the original, and the fact that the video lasted 30 seconds, which is the known length of time for clips on the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, it did not take fans long to put two and two together.

For now, we can only wait and hope that the news we have been waiting for is just around the corner, and it will not be long before we finally get to enjoy Pokémon Ruby Version and Pokémon Sapphire Version on the Nintendo Switch.