GPT-5 smashed the Pokémon Red speed-run record in 6,470 moves. Discover the memory tricks, live streams, and DIY scripts you can test today.
Speed-running a 28-year-old Game Boy classic normally takes human players anywhere from a week to a lifetime. In March 2025, GPT-5 did it in 6,470 moves—roughly seven in-game days—shattering the previous AI record of 18,184 moves set by ChatGPT-o3.
Twitch chat exploded, crypto bots spammed “bullish,” and even die-hard Pokémon fans started asking, “Wait, can AI actually enjoy the grind?” Let’s break down how the model pulled it off, what it means for future game bots, and how you can watch (or even replicate) the feat.
Watch Live:
GPT-5 Live Speed-Run Channel
Why Pokémon Red Became the Ultimate AI Benchmark
Anthropic kicked things off years ago by using Pokémon as a sandbox for testing long-horizon reasoning. The open-world structure forces any model to juggle exploration, battle tactics, inventory management, and quest memory—all under sparse rewards. GPT-5’s 6,470-move finish proves it can:
- Plan 100+ steps ahead (the Elite Four alone took 312 moves).
- Adapt on the fly when a crit knocks out its starter Charizard.
- Resist grinding for XP when a strategic switch wins faster.
Practical tip: Want to test GPT-5’s skill yourself? Ask it to draft a turn-by-turn route for a Nuzlocke run—then try the same path in an emulator to feel the difference.
The Secret Sauce: Memory Tokens & “Action Chunking”
Unlike earlier models that treated every frame as a new prompt, GPT-5 uses memory tokens to cache key events (gym badges, HM locations, rival battles). Think of it like sticky notes on a strategy guide. On top of that, action chunking groups 8–12 micro-decisions into one macro-move, slashing token usage by 38 % and keeping the context window lean.
Head-to-Head: GPT-5 vs. the Field
| Model | Moves to Victory | Avg. Days to Finish |
|---|---|---|
| GPT-5 (March 2025) | 6,470 | 7 in-game days |
| ChatGPT-o3 | 18,184 | 15 in-game days |
| Gemini 2.5 | 21,300 | 19 in-game days |
| Claude 3.7 Sonnet | 24,050 | 22 in-game days |
What’s Next: Pokémon Crystal & Beyond
Streamers at GPT_Plays_Pokemon have already queued Pokémon Crystal as the next target. Crystal introduces real-time clock events and breeding—features that push long-term planning to the limit. Early sims predict GPT-5 could clear Johto in under 10,000 moves, but only if it masters day/night cycle optimization.
Engagement prompt: Which Gen-2 twist do you think will stump GPT-5 first—Ecruteak’s puzzles or the roaming legendary dogs? Drop your vote below!
DIY Guide: Run Your Own AI Speed-Run
- Fork the repo: Grab the open-source poke-env Python wrapper.
- Hook GPT-5: Use the new “function-calling” endpoint to send move commands.
- Log everything: Export state-action pairs to a CSV for later analysis.
Pro tip: Cap the temperature at 0.3 to keep the bot laser-focused; any higher and it’ll start naming its rival “420BlazeIt.”
Join the Lab:
Discord for Code Swaps & Tips
Key Takeaways for 2025
- GPT-5 speed-run** proves long-context memory is finally usable for real-time tasks.
- Game environments remain the cheapest, safest playgrounds for stress-testing AI.
- Open-source wrappers mean hobbyists can replicate feats once limited to big labs.
Whether you’re a speed-running purist or a weekend coder, the fusion of GPT-5 Pokémon mastery and open tooling offers a rare chance to peek behind the AI curtain—no Elite Four badge required.