Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire switch ports reportedly launching Oct 8: Everything to know

A major Pokémon leaker claims Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire will port to Nintendo Switch soon, possibly on October 8, 2026.

The speculated release comes amid hype around the unveiling of HD gameplay footage of Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire by an official Pokémon social media account, showing the protagonist chasing Mr Briney and Peeko near Petalburg City. 

These videos ignited hope amongst fans regarding the availability of the Game Boy Advance games on modern hardware.

Light88, a leaker who has provided correct information about Pokémon on multiple occasions, tweeted on X/Twitter that the ports would be available for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 on October 8. 

It is worth noting that the rumour has not included Pokémon Emerald despite the earlier datamine which revealed mentions of Emerald, Sapphire, and Ruby in the emulator used for Switch versions of FireRed & LeafGreen.

Insider Shpeshal Nick had already claimed in August that there would be ports of Ruby, Emerald, and Sapphire in late September/October. But still, Nintendo hasn't made any official announcements about it yet.

This would coincide with the launch of Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen Switch, which was recently released in February and is now compatible with Pokémon HOME. 

The Pokémon HOME 4.1.0 update has made it possible for transfers from FireRed and LeafGreen, including giving a reward of Celebi for filling the Pokédex. Similar action would benefit the Hoenn games in Nintendo’s efforts at preservation.

Many fans are expecting the official announcement with excitement since there are mere hours to go until the rumoured date. 

If this is indeed the case, then Ruby & Sapphire would represent yet another big move in the journey towards bringing old Pokémon adventures onto the current platforms, except for Emerald, whose absence would make most Trainers disappointed.

For the time being, regard the October 8 rumour as not yet confirmed.