How to Change the Weather in Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield
Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield features a weather system that impacts the type of Pokemon you may encounter. Because of this system it can be hard to find Pokemon you may want to get, but can’t seem to get the right weather for it to spawn. Unfortunately there is no real in-game way to change weather, but I have the next best thing for you. Continue reading below to learn how to change the weather in Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield.
NOTE: The following may be viewed as an exploit. If you are worried about ruining your experience, don’t use it.
Change Your Nintendo Switch Time and Date
Weather in Pokemon Sword and Shield is dictated by a couple of things: how far you are into the game, and your Nintendo Switch’s Time and Date. The first portion of the equation requires beating the game to access all weather types. Fog is one example of a type of weather that unlocks after you’ve become Galar region champion. The second portion of the equation involves changing the Time and Date on your Nintendo Switch. To do this follow the directions below:
- Home Screen > System Settings (Cog).
- From System Settings select System.
- From System select Date and Time.
- Turn off Synchronize Clock via Internet.
- Manually input date and time below.
So now that you know how to change the date and time on your Nintendo Switch you are probably wondering what date and time to switch it to. To answer that it depends on what type of wheather you want. Consult the list below to get dates and their corresponding weather types:
- Sunny – May 1
- Overcast – March 1
- Rainy – Oct. 1
- Thunder – Nov. 1
- Snow – Dec. 1
- Harsh Sunlight – July 1
- Hail – Feb. 1, 2020
- Sandstorm – April 1, 2020
- Fog – June 1, 2020
Input the dates above to get their corresponding weather type. Note I like to set the time around 12:00 AM. If done correctly you will notice each area is the weather type listed above. This means you can grab all the Pokemon that correspond with the weather types without waiting for them to roll through.
How to View Current Weather
If you are curious to see the current weather in the Galar region you can use a nifty feature on your map. Open the map then press + to toggle weather on/off. This allows you to see the current weather in each area of the region. Use this to your advantage.
That’s everything you need to know to change the weather in Pokemon Sword and Shield. When you are done simply Synchronize Time with internet to revert back to normal.
As mentioned above this could be viewed as a bit of an exploit so keep that in mind if you decide to use. I don’t think anything will happen because of it, but I feel I should give that warning to you.
