One gamer has proven that even the latest installments in Nintendo’s RPG franchise, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, still look amazing on old CRT TVs. The gamer in question posted on social media the game running on the CRT unit and completing the scanline in all its glory. This isn’t the first post to draw attention to modern games running on old TVs, another example is Halo Infinite shown on CRT TVs.
Released in November 2022, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are the latest mainline Pokemon games for Nintendo’s current-generation Switch hardware. Set in the open world of Paldea, the game offers three separate storylines: “Road to Victory”, “Street of Fallen Stars” and “Road to Legends”. The games feature 400 Pokemon, 110 of which are brand new for Scarlet and Violet. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet collectively sold more than 10 million copies in their first three days after release, making it Nintendo’s biggest ever game launch, and have now sold more than 20 million copies.
User RockerXt posted screenshots of the game on the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet subreddit, and the screen appears to be a Sony Wega TV. The title of the post is : “The only way to play is on a CRT.” The device in question appears to be a 2004 Sony Wega model with a 480i output. This model has a flat glass panel and is likely to be 32 inches. This particular Wega CRT features Sony’s Hi-Scan and TruSurround SRS with Steady Sound automatic volume control, as well as CineMotion 3-2 Pulldown – a feature that is said to preserve the quality of old video shot at 24FPS. It is part of the FD Trinitron series, one of the most sought-after types of CRT TVs among retro gaming enthusiasts. As others have pointed out in the comments to the post, even newer games like Pokemon Scarlet and Violet sometimes look sharper on the CRT model.
The only way to play it is in a PokemonScarletViolet Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) TV using u/RockerXt’s CRT TV which utilizes an electron gun to “paint” the screen with electron beams. Although considered “obsolete” when compared to newer video display technologies such as LCD and OLED, CRT does retain some advantages, including pure blacks and no motion blur, and minimal input lag due to the use of analog signals . Playing on a CRT is considered a must-have for retro gaming purists, as the CRT is the technology most classic games are typically created with.
CRTs can also make new games look good too, and give them a retro flair, as RockerXt demonstrates in their post. Many users in the comments section expressed their nostalgia for seeing Pokemon Scarlet and Violet run on old technology. One reviewer simply quipped, “Super Mario Sunshine vibe.” Many classic gaming system emulators also feature CRT display modes to capture the “old school” feel of old games. As pointed out in the comments, even newer games look better on a CRT in the eyes of some gamers.
Pokemon Crimson and Violet are now available for Nintendo Switch.