Getting your old Pokemon from a Game Boy Advance cartridge into the modern games has always been a bit of an annoyance, but a new device launching this December could be just the ticket.
RetroSync, created by Drewworks, is a $50 adapter that connects directly to the GBA Link Port and allows compatible Pokemon games to communicate with the Nintendo Switch releases of Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen.
Your original GBA Pokemon can make the jump to Switch
The way RetroSync does this is by acting as a bridge between the GBAโs original Wireless Adapter protocol and Nintendoโs modern hardware. Something that definitely goes over my head, but as long as it works, I’m 100% in.
Itโs currently scheduled to launch worldwide in early December and supports Pokemon FireRed, LeafGreen and Emerald on original hardware, with trading alongside Single, Double and Multi Battles.
Berry Crush, Pokemon Jump and Dodrio Berry Picking also work, although the GBA can only join sessions rather than host them, and Union Room functionality isnโt supported.
Ruby and Sapphire unfortunately donโt work directly, but what you can do instead is trade Pokemon from either game into Emerald using an ordinary Link Cable before sending them onwards through RetroSync. If you still own all those games and cable, that is.
With Pokemon Bank shutting down on February 25, 2027, transferring Pokemon from Bank into Pokemon HOME will no longer be possible. With the Switch versions of FireRed and LeafGreen receiving HOME integration, RetroSync could potentially be a cleaner route for bringing your original Gen 3 Pokemon forward without wading your way through the multi-console transfer chain.
If youโre worried about any repercussions from using the RetroSync, Drewworks does stress that RetroSync doesnโt alter Pokemon data at all. It simply passes the normal trade information between the two games, meaning the Pokemon itself shouldnโt be any different from one moved through an ordinary trade.
However, this is an unofficial accessory with no Nintendo or Pokemon Company involvement.
At the time of writing, we donโt know whether Nintendo intends to ban anyone for using it, but thereโs equally no guarantee that future game, HOME, or system updates wonโt affect compatibility or introduce restrictions. Drewworks himself acknowledges that future updates could break functionality, so keep that in mind.
Regardless, the fact that this even exists is incredibly cool, and I’m all for these types of devices being made to make everyone’s life that bit easier.
