Summary

  • Pokemon GO fans may benefit from toggling on the Native Refresh Rate feature for smoother visuals.
  • This makes the game run significantly faster, but at the cost of battery life.

Pokemon GO fans can make a quick change in their settings to improve game performance, but it will drain their batteries faster. Pokemon GO remains one of the most popular mobile games in the world. There are those who play it religiously, but there are others who pop in and out, playing it when the weather is nice enough to walk around outside and catch Pokemon.

The hardcore Pokemon GO fans likely already know the best ways to optimize their experience with the game, but the more casual fans may have missed some of the updates that have been released for the game over the years. After all, Pokemon GO has received significant updates that have made major changes to the game since its initial launch in the summer of 2016. These changes have added brand-new features and changed existing ones, so some may find it hard to keep up.

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One feature that was added to Pokemon GO a few years ago that may have flown under the radar is the Native Refresh Rate feature. By going to Settings, Advanced Settings, and then toggling on the Native Refresh Rate, Pokemon GO players can enjoy significantly "smoother and more responsive visuals." It makes everything in the game go faster, with a genuine night-and-day difference compared to when the setting is toggled off. The downside to using the Native Refresh Rate feature is that it drains one's phone battery at a much faster rate, so Pokemon GO enthusiasts will want to keep this in mind.

Pokemon GO: How to Turn on Native Refresh Rate

  1. Tap on the Poke Ball at the bottom of the screen
  2. Tap Settings
  3. Tap Advanced Settings
  4. Adjust Native Refresh Rate toggle

Phone technology has advanced considerably since Pokemon GO was first released in 2016, and so it makes sense that a feature like Native Refresh Rate was added to better take advantage of the superior hardware that's on the market. As phones continue to become more powerful, it will be interesting to see if Pokemon GO gets any other significant graphical or performance improvements that take advantage of the added horsepower.

Over time, Pokemon GO has become unplayable on older phones as the technology has been phased out, but Niantic will be careful not to block out too much of its audience by making the game only playable on cutting-edge, top-of-the-line technology. Pokemon GO's incredible success over the years can be attributed to its appeal to the casual market, and those individuals are unlikely to buy an expensive phone just to play the game.

In the meantime, Pokemon GO fans can take advantage of the Native Refresh Rate feature as they wait for the game's future updates. Right now, Pokemon GO is in the midst of the World of Wonders season, and there are plenty of exciting things for fans to look forward to in the months ahead.

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Pokémon GO
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Released
July 6, 2016
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Developer(s)
Niantic
Publisher(s)
Niantic
Engine
Unity
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
Franchise
Pokemon
Platform(s)
iOS, Android
Genre(s)
Augmented Reality, RPG
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