next evolution pokemon The TCG is almost here, and Pokémon TCG Pocket is preparing to release the hugely popular card game in an entirely new format and bring it to mobile devices.

With app-exclusive Pokémon cards, a whole new way to play the card game, and multiple ways to collect or build your collection, Pokémon TCG Pocket will change the game. And with such major additions to a global TCG, the only thing many players will be looking for is how to access the game as quickly as possible.

With Pokémon TCG Pocket fast approaching, here’s everything you need to know about when it releases, which platforms you can play on, and how to get early access if you can’t wait for the global release.

For players around the world Pokémon TCG Pocket released This follows a month-long pre-release testing in select regions such as New Zealand in September.

At launch, Pokémon TCG Pocket will be available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. Since it is aimed at a casual audience and designed entirely for mobile devices, there is currently no news on whether it will be released on other platforms in the future.

Pokémon TCG Live and its predecessor TCG Online finally have playable versions on Apple, Android, and PC; so there’s hope for a PC client, but a Nintendo Switch version is unlikely.

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If you want to play TCG Pocket, you’ll need a device that runs an iPhone 8 or newer, uses iOS13 or newer, and has 2GB of RAM or more. Similarly, Android users need to be running Android 7.0 or newer on 64-bit with 3GB or more of RAM.

Pokémon TCG Pocket is a game designed to allow players to easily open digital packs, collect cool artwork, and compete in the new Pokémon TCG format. In The Pokémon Company’s own words, it’s designed to allow players to “enjoy Pokémon cards anytime, anywhere, on your mobile device!”

For casual fans of the Pokémon TCG, this is an easy way to collect cards and play them in a digital format different from the physical or TCG Live versions. For collectors or hardcore gamers, TCG Pocket offers cards you won’t find anywhere else and new challenges to overcome.

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Pokémon TCG Pocket is free to download and can be played for free if you want to collect Pokémon cards and battle them. However, there are microtransactions in-game that you can purchase to get even more gifts.

For example, you can purchase an in-game subscription that will give you an extra daily card pack when you log in and more tasks to complete for rewards such as special Promo cards.

If you’re looking forward to the full release of Pokémon TCG Pocket, you can get early access to the game by creating a new profile on your phone and changing your phone’s location to New Zealand using a VPN. Doing this will allow you to download the game from your chosen app store and play the game a few days early.

There are other methods, but they involve downloading from third-party sources that may be unreliable.

Whatever the method, keep in mind that you’ll want to ensure that the app registers your main account and not a different account when you install it. Otherwise, if you need to delete the app or download it again, you will probably lose all progress in the game.