Pokemon Go is breaking some mobile phones’ display

Paul Cotton

Pokemon Go players are reporting issues with Version 0.153.0 that released on August 22, with some instances breaking some mobile phones display.

In its 3 year lifespan, Pokemon Go has had millions of players logging into its servers in an attempt to try and catch ’em all.

Capitalizing on the brands legendary success, the Niantic devs brought a completely new type of game for Pokemon enthusiasts to play. Though it’s been wildly successful, some issues have been occasionally cropping up.

Version 0.153.0 of Pokemon Go released globally on August 22, 2019 but has caused refresh rate in some mobile devices to be limited to 30 FPS. Owners of the OnePlus 7 Pro, which has a 90Hz display, have been the most frequent to report the issue.

According to Android Central owners of Razer phones which are capable of refresh rates of up to 120Hz have also had the same problems. The complication isn’t with Pokemon Go itself but the affect it has on the general use of the phone, limiting it to a fraction of the refresh rate it is capable of.

If you are an owner of this phone, or any other experiencing the same issue, then you can revert back to the previous update from August 8, 0.151.0.

Fortunately, this is available as an APK file online but it should be noted this downloaded version will stop working at some point and that app developers actively encourage the use of their latest version.

The patch notes for Pokemon Go 0.151.0 haven’t been released but according to Perfectly Nintendo the changes are as follows:

  • adds a new evolution item: Unova Stone
  • adds a new item: Route Maker (tied to a new feature called Route Creation System)
  • adds a new item: VS Seeker Upgrade
  • adds Unova Pokédex data
  • adds Shadow Pinsir
  • upgrades the buddy system (feeding, emotions, encounters)
  • adds a competitive ranking system

Niantic themselves have yet to comment on the situation but will more than likely resolve the issue sooner than later, given indeed it is their software causing the issue.