Best answer: Yes, Pokémon Unite supports cross-play across Android, iOS, and Nintendo Switch. However, the company said that this was a unique case, and players shouldn't expect cross-play in all Nintendo titles in the future.
What is Pokémon Unite?
Pokémon Unite is an upcoming MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) where players face off in 5v5 team battles. The player that scores the most points in the allotted time wins. Players will be able to catch wild Pokémon, level up, evolve their Pokémon, and attempt to prevent their opponent from doing the same.
To score points, players will earn Aeos energy by defeating Pokémon and then depositing that energy in the opposing player's goal zones. Because each battle takes place in a different stadium, rules may differ depending on the stadium.
How does cross-play work?
Cross-play allows players to battle other people on different platforms. So instead of Nintendo Switch players only matching up with and battling other Nintendo Switch players, someone on Switch may be able to battle someone on an Android mobile device, for instance. In Pokémon Unite's case, cross-play is supported between Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS.
Will Pokémon Unite support cross-play at launch?
It appears that cross-play will be supported in Pokémon Unite once the mobile versions release in September 2021. Pokémon Unite will first release on Nintendo Switch in July 2021, and because this is the only platform it will be available on for a few months, cross-play won't be supported yet.
Can my phone play Pokémon Unite?
If you're wondering if you'll be able to play Pokémon Unite on your phone come September, the answer is probably yes. Usually, games like this require your device to be running Android 5.0 or Android 6.0 or later, but Nintendo has yet to detail its system requirements. So long as you have a phone that's released in the past five years or so, you should be good to go.
A new way to play Pokémon
This may not be the mainline entry that some people would like to see, but Pokémon Unite looks to be shaping up into a competent MOBA that'll allow players to get that Pokémon experience directly from their pockets.
