Pokemon Go is phasing out older devices, as Niantic has confirmed that the game will cease support for certain Android phones as part of the ongoing development process.
Pokemon Go’s visuals have faced a great deal of change over the past few years, with the vitriolic fan backlash to the updated Pokemon Go Avatars, and overworld updates, which shifts more naturally with the changing seasons.
As the game’s tech improves, it must leave older phones behind. According to a post on the Pokemon Go website, Niantic has confirmed a list of 32-bit Android devices that will soon end support with the game.
Pokemon Go won’t work on some phones from March
The process of uncoupling Pokemon Go support from these older devices will happen in waves, starting with versions of the game downloaded from the Samsung Galaxy Store in March, followed by the Google Play store in June.
The list of devices that are losing compatibility with Pokemon Go include:
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- Samsung Galaxy S4, S5, Note 3, J3
- Sony Xperia Z2, Z3
- Motorola Moto G (1st generation)
- LG Fortune, Tribute
- OnePlus One
- HTC One (M8)
- ZTE Overture 3
- Certain Android devices released before 2015
Once the shift happens, players won’t be able to use Pokemon Go on their old devices. However, they can use their account details to continue their game on another phone.
This isn’t the first time that Pokemon fans have had to face tight hardware restrictions in recent times, considering the surprisingly taxing demands of Pokemon TCG Pocket, which lock out older phone users or force people to play it on PC via BlueStacks.
As most phone users tend to update every few years, this shift for Pokemon Go isn’t going to affect a large portion of the fanbase permanently. It will irritate those who doggedly refuse to buy a new phone, but considering how flimsy most smartphones are, they’ll be forced to get a new one eventually, where Pokemon Go will be waiting for them.