Can You Still Transfer Pokémon from 3DS to Nintendo Switch in 2024?

As a long-time Pokémon gaming expert and content creator, I can definitively say yes, you can absolutely still move your Pokémon from Nintendo 3DS titles into Nintendo Switch games in 2024 and beyond! While the shutdown of the 3DS eShop means saying goodbye to easily downloading legacy 3DS apps, the core transfer ecosystem still functions. Read on as I provide everything you need to know for continued 3DS to Switch Pokémon transfers in the modern era!

The Rise and Fall of Pokémon Bank

First, let‘s briefly recap the history leading up to this point. Pokémon Bank launched in 2013 as the original syncing app that enabled transferring collections between compatible 3DS games. This included fan favorites like:

For years, Trainers relied on the yearly $4.99 Pokémon Bank subscription to store and move their precious monsters. However, with the transition away from the 3DS/2DS hardware, Nintendo announced Pokémon Bank would shift to an indefinite free model starting March 2023.

As confirmed by multiple official sources like Pokemon.com and Polygon, while new downloads cease with the 3DS eShop closure, existing Bank downloads will continue functioning per normal for the forseeable future. For the vast array of longtime Pokémon veterans still clinging to old 3DS cartridges, this was welcome news!

Enter Pokémon HOME as the Future of Transfers

So with Pokémon Bank soon unavailable for new users after March 2023 when 3DS eShop doors close forever, where does that leave future Pokémon transfers spanning console generations? Enter Pokémon HOME, the Switch/mobile sync app that picked up where Bank left off starting in 2020.

Pokémon HOME takes transfers into the HD era by directly linking accounts instead of hardware. As long as both apps are associated with the same Nintendo Account username, Pokémon housed in previous-gen Bank can make their way to current-gen HOME. Once there, the world of Nintendo Switch awaits!

But which Switch games can import 3DS Pokémon, and how are they obtained? While rumors suggest upcoming 2023 titles like Pokémon Sleep aim broad compatibility, here are the modern mainline options as of this writing according to Serebii:

Now armed with HOME on Switch, the full process for sailing 3DS Pokémon over to Switch cartridge ports can commence!

Step-By-Step Instructions: 3DS to Switch Pokémon Transfers

Gather round for the full walkthrough! Be sure all involved apps are updated to the latest versions for guaranteed connectivity.

Preparing Pokémon Bank

Without further ado, let‘s begin migration from the 3DS side:

1. Boot up Pokémon Bank on your 3DS system.
2. Select the bright blue "Move Pokémon to Pokémon HOME" option from Bank‘s main menu.
3. Use the Box Selector to tag any storage boxes containing the Pokémon you wish to transfer over.
4. Once satisfied, press "Done" to advance.

Connecting with Pokémon HOME

Now we initialize the account bridge from the Switch:

5. Launch Pokémon HOME on your Switch or mobile device.
6. Tap "Move" from HOME‘s main overview.
7. Choose "Bank to HOME Transfer".
8. Authenticate when prompted with your Nintendo Account username and password. Remember, HOME needs an active Nintendo Switch Online membership!
9. A unique Moving Key will generate after account confirmation. Keep it handy!

Almost there. We‘ve built the track and readied the cargo carts… now it‘s time to call the train and send those Pokémon a-chuggin‘!

Completing the Transfer Deposit

Just connect both applications to finalize the wireless delivery:

10. Return to the Transfer screen on Pokémon Bank.
11. Input the Moving Key from Pokémon HOME when asked.
12. Bask in awe and splendor as 6+ generations of Pokémon trade molecular stability for digital immortality!

Don‘t blink… depending on connection strength and quantity, the teleport only lasts a few moments.

13. After a confirmation message in Bank, eager Switch users can check Pokémon HOME to find their vintage monsters waiting safely within those Switch game-branded HOME Boxes! Huzzah!

And with that, the life-preserving traversal is complete! Now rested in HOME, Pokémon originating all the way back from GameBoy Advance cartridges can enter modern titles like Pokémon Scarlet/Violet. Just tap any eligible Switch game logo inside HOME to commence Room Trading, Wonder Box randomization, or straightforward box injections.

Boom! Those treasured partners live on for battles and contests anew, albeit a bit wiser for the wear…

Limitations & Considerations

I do want to outline a few cavaets lest we get too ahead of ourselves daydreaming about compiling ultimate all-star teams from 25 years worth of play data, ahaha!

• Once sent from Bank to HOME, Pokémon cannot travel backwards to any 3DS game/app again. That bridge crumbles in their evolutionary wake.
• Only support-confirmed creatures entering HOME can be dropped into Switch title boxes. Others remain in limbo unless eligible.
• Bank itself stays indefinitely accessible provided the app is already installed prior to March 2023 3DS eShop closure.

There are also certain held items and select mythical Pokémon incompatible with Switch games, deposited instead as mere figurine collectibles. But that‘s a story for another day!

In summary – the previous go-to pipeline stays somewhat workable, but may diminish without proper eShop account preparation. Plan accordingly!

The Road Ahead in Pokémon Transfers

While 3DS to Switch serves as today‘s pressing dilemma, the longevity of Pokémon HOME makes it fertile ground for retaining our ecosystems across looming console refreshes. Modern wonder Switch games are merely the latest harbor in a timeline trailing back past most our childhoods!

In that spirit, I predict HOME forms the bridge to integrate with follow-up Switch successors. Perhaps the rumored "Switch 2", likely boasting 4K graphics and processing, blurs console lines even further by directly playing past game cartridges. Backwards compatibility seems an increasing priority, meaning Pokémon stay ever-mobile into emerging crossplay spaces.

Until the next revelation, the current framework holds quite steady and accommodating. Just be sure to enlist Pokémon into HOME while both originating apps remain intact through March. As the curtain falls on 3DS functionality (rest well, sweet dual screens!), Pokémon HOME nowusher our battalions onward… what worlds await capture next?

Let me know what topics you‘d like covered next regarding Pokémon homeland security! This has been Max Deluxe of Deluxe Zone Gaming. Till next time – Gotta Transfer ‘Em All!