It’s the new way to play the Pokemon Trading Card Game on the go
Pokemon's new virtual Trading Card Game Live platform replaced TCG Online in June 2023 after 12 years of functionality. The new system aimed to bring together a whole host of new platforms and give players a better experience when playing the TCG virtually.
Along with the release of Pokemon Trading Card Game Live in June, the Pokemon Company added a whole heap of new features to make playing the virtual version of the Trading Card Game.
The biggest of the additions is a fully fleshed out and operational Ranked mode. It has an ELO system that is super easy to understand and consistently rewarding to players.
Sound good? If you're enticed but unsure how to get access to the Pokemon Trading Card Game Live, here's how to install it on all of the platforms it is available on.
What platforms is the Pokemon Trading Card Game Live available on?
The former Pokemon Trading Card Game Online client was taken away in June and at the time, some worried that support for mobile was going to be taken away. That turned out not to be the case. Here's how to install the new Pokemon Trading Card Game Live.
Players can play PTCGL on pretty much every non-console platform. It is available to download and play on PC, Mac, Android and iOS.
Installing PTCGL is easy. On both iOS and Android, all you need to do is search the respective app store for the game and hit install.
On MacOS and PC, the game is also easily installed. Click the corresponding button on the official website and then all you have to do is run the .exe file that is downloaded. Then you're ready to go.
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How to play online in the Pokemon Trading Card Game Live
All gameplay in the Pokemon Trading Card Game Live is online except for the tutorial and deck testing features.
The online gameplay is split into two sections: Ranked and Casual. Ranked mode will wager some of the player's ELO against another's, with the chance to climb up the ranks by racking up wins. Casual mode has no repercussions to losing and can be a great way to gauge a new deck.
Pokemon Trading Card Game Live system requirements
The minimum system requirements for the Pokemon Trading Card Game Live are very forgiving. The game takes next to no computing power to run smoothly.
PC system requirements for Pokemon Trading Card Game Live
Component | Minimum Requirements | Recommended Specifications |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows® 7 | Windows® 10 64-bit |
| Processor | Intel® Pentium® D or AMD® Athlon™ 64 X2 | Intel® Core™ 2 Duo (2.2 GHz) or AMD® Athlon™ 64 X2 (2.6 GHz) or better |
| Memory | 3 GB RAM | 4 GB RAM |
| Storage | 3 GB available HD space | 3 GB available HD space |
| Video | NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600 GT or ATI™ Radeon™ HD 2600XT or better | NVIDIA® GeForce® 240 GT or ATI™ Radeon™ HD 4850 or better |
| Network | Broadband internet connection required to play | Broadband internet connection required to play |
| Resolution | 1024 x 768 minimum display resolution | 1024 x 768 minimum display resolution |
| Input | Keyboard and mouse, or touchscreen | Keyboard and mouse, or touchscreen |
Mac system requirements for Pokemon Trading Card Game Live
Component | Minimum Requirements | Recommended Specifications |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | OS X® 10.14 (latest version) | macOS® 10.14 (latest version) |
| Processor | Intel® Core™ 2 Duo | Intel® Core™ i3 or better |
| Memory | 3 GB RAM | 4 GB RAM |
| Storage | 3 GB available HD space | 3 GB available HD space |
| Video | NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT or ATI™ Radeon™ HD 2600 Pro | NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 650M or ATI™ Radeon™ HD 5670 or better |
| Network | Broadband internet connection required to play | Broadband internet connection required to play |
| Resolution | 1024 x 768 minimum display resolution | 1024 x 768 minimum display resolution |
| Input | Keyboard and mouse, or touchscreen | Keyboard and mouse, or touchscreen |
Android system requirements for Pokemon Trading Card Game Live
Component | Minimum Requirements | Recommended Specifications |
|---|---|---|
| Android Phone | Samsung Galaxy S7 | Samsung Galaxy S7 |
| Android Tablet | Samsung Galaxy Tab A (2016) | Samsung Galaxy Tab A (2016) |
| Memory | Ram > 2GB | Ram > 2GB |
| Operating System | Android 8 | Android 8 |
| Texture Compression | ASTC compression (must have OpenGL3.0+ and extension GL_KHR_texture_compression_astc_ldr) | ASTC compression (must have OpenGL3.0+ and extension GL_KHR_texture_compression_astc_ldr) |
iOS system requirements for Pokemon Trading Card Game Live
Component | Minimum Requirements | Recommended Specifications |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone - Operating System | iOS 11.2 | iOS 15 |
| iPhone | iPhone 8 | iPhone 11 |
| iOS Tablet - Operating System | iOS 11.2 | iPadOS 15 |
| iPad | iPad (5th generation) | iPad (8th generation) |
