Yes, ‘Pokémon: Legends Z-A’ Will Indeed Have Compatibility With the ‘Home’ App — But When?

With each new iteration of Pokémon games, fans get to see the madness that developers come up with for new Pokémon additions. Sure, the game's turn-based rock-paper-scissors combat system that focuses on strategic character-type and ability match-ups is a tried-and-true staple of the series.

But the brand's tagline is "Gotta Catch 'Em All," not "your Magmar better watch out because I have a Vaporeon I named 'Water Glock' in my team of six.

So it's no wonder fans of the game are wondering when Pokémon Z-A will be compatible with Pokémon HOME.

According to Nintendo's website, folks who've been left wondering just when they'll get to link their Pokémon Z-A monster databases to HOME now have an answer.

The Japanese gaming company stated that this functionality "is scheduled to become available in 2026."

Moreover, Nintendo states that "once [gamers have] ... linked this title to Pokémon HOME, [they'll] be able to transfer" their captures from Pokémon Legends: Arceus and "bring select Pokémon from past games to Lumiose City."

If you're an aspiring Pokémon master, then there's a good chance you've got HOME installed on your Android or iOS device, and it's linked to your Nintendo Switch. Folks who have the app installed can trade Pokémon using this service and even move them in and out of compatible Pokémon games.

It's a great way to ensure that no matter what, your Pokedex data is never compromised, which is a game-changer for OG Pokémon fans who were worried about the batteries in their cartridges dying, effectively deleting their game data forever. Or if they somehow had their physical copy of the game lost or damaged.

Furthermore, HOME users who update their apps will get special Pokémon added to their databases. There are some things to consider when you're switching your Pokémon in and out of different games, however. Pokémon Go, Bank, Legends: Arceus, Scarlet, Violet, Brilliant Diamond, Shining Pearl, Sword, Shield, Let's Go Eevee, and Let's Go Pikachu are all supported by HOME.

This means that there are a lot of different types of Pokémon to catch and fight against each other across these various titles. But it's worth considering that pocket monsters can only be moved to the games in which they appear.

The Pokémon Company's website gave some examples of these trade/transfer exceptions. The hog Pokémon Lechonk can't be moved into Pokémon Sword, Shield, Brilliant Diamond, Shining Pearl, or Legends: Arceus because there is no Lechonk data in those games.

But if you've got a max-level Pikachu with a killer move set, you can move them into any of those aforementioned titles because the popular electric mouse appears in all of those games.

Game Freak releases Pokémon Legends: Z-A on Nintendo Switch on October 16th, 2025.

Z-A's received generally positive reviews. Like this write-up from IGN, which says the title's development team is "hitting its stride in Pokémon's 3D era."

The biggest change to the game is its combat system. As stated previously, Pokémon is known for its turn-based battle structure. However, Z-A has opted for real-time combat, which allows players to dodge encounters with wild Pokémon. This feature isn't allowed in trainer battles, but they still follow the same real-time combat rules.