Can You Soft Reset Pokemon Sword and Shield?

In this guide, we will talk about soft resets, and whether you can do them in Pokemon Sword and Shield.

Soft resetting has been a mechanic used by people who play the Pokemon series for some time. By holding a specific combination of buttons, they soft reset the game, which causes fresh spawns, allowing them to hunt for Shiny Pokemon, certain IVs, or distinct Natures that they want. The advantage is that it’s quicker than a hardware reset, so it cuts down on time spent hunting for particular things.

Can You Soft Reset Pokemon Sword and Shield?

Unfortunately, you cannot soft reset in Pokemon Sword and Shield. To restart the game, you will have to do it the usual way. Hit the home screen button on the Switch, then hold X to bring up the menu screen, then select Close. When it has closed down, hit A to restart it. The good news is that the game has a reasonably speedy loading time on the Switch.

While we appreciate this is bad news for some of the most dedicated Trainers out there, the simple truth is that it is not a function the majority of Sword and Shield players would ever need to take advantage of.

If you need more help with Pokemon Sword and Shield, we have a range of guides that you might find useful. From how to use the PC Box Link, how to change a Pokemon’s nature, and how to trade Pokemon. If you are looking for some of the rarer Pokemon, we can show you where to find Dreepy and Ditto, as well.