In what year did Pokémon HOME first launch?

Pokémon HOME first launched in 2020. The cloud-based service lets players store and transfer compatible Pokémon between supported Pokémon games and access a central collection through Nintendo Switch and mobile devices.

Pokémon HOME replaced and expanded on earlier storage services, especially Pokémon Bank on Nintendo 3DS. Its launch version supported transfers involving games such as Pokémon Sword and Shield, Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee!, and Pokémon Bank, although compatibility has always depended on the specific game and Pokémon.

Pokémon HOME is not the same as Pokémon Bank. Bank was a Nintendo 3DS storage application, while HOME was designed as a broader cross-platform service. Transfers are also not universally reversible: moving Pokémon into some games can restrict their return, and only compatible Pokémon can enter a particular title. Those compatibility rules make the service more than a simple universal save box.