Nintendo appears to have hinted that the original Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire and possibly Emerald could return on Nintendo Switch. A video from Pokémon’s official Japanese account showed unusually high-resolution Ruby and Sapphire gameplay, prompting speculation that the games were captured through emulation or an unreleased port. No official announcement has been made, but the apparent tease matters because the original Hoenn games remain unavailable on Nintendo Switch Online.

Ruby and Sapphire launched the Hoenn region in 2002, followed by Emerald in 2004; their 3DS remakes, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, did not replace the original versions for fans seeking the Game Boy Advance experience. The 30-second clip matched the Switch’s capture limit and appeared two months before the Japanese anniversary of the games, while a potential Pokémon HOME connection could link older Pokémon with newer titles. However, the footage may ultimately be anniversary nostalgia rather than confirmation of an imminent release.