Will Pokémon Sword and Shield support multiple saves?

How to get multiple save files in Pokémon Sword and Shield

In February 2019, a Nintendo Direct unveiled the imminent release of Pokémon Sword and Shield. As of now, details about the pair of upcoming titles is somewhat limited. We do know that the games will feature some all-new Pokémon as well as some fancy high-end graphics.

As with just about any Pokémon title that gets released there is one persistent question that seems to pop with a good amount of regularity. Many Pokémon fans are curious about whether or not the forthcoming title will support multiple save files.

Pretty much any RPG title you can imagine has a justifiable argument for the implementation of multiple save files. Sometimes you want to try something new or experiment a bit with gameplay decisions and have the safety of various save files to fall back on. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, Nintendo hasn't made this an option in the world of Pokémon titles.

This decision has been a source of frustration for many Pokémon fans since it keeps you tied tightly to a linear sort of play. If you want to try something different, you have to start your game over completely, which can be frustrating,

As of now, it's safe to assume that the upcoming Sword and Shield titles will be no different than any other iteration of the franchise. That being said, if Sword and Shield are cut from the same cloth a sPokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, then you will have an option when it comes to multiple saves.

If Sword and Shield are like the previous titles on the Switch you'll be able to have as many as eight different save files on your Switch. While the game itself will not support multiple saves directly, you should be able to create one unique save file on each profile on your Switch. This means that aside from your main profile, you should be able to create an additional seven saves.

So if you want to have a bunch of different saves for Pokémon Sword and Shield, you can go ahead and get started on the long arduous process of thinking of clever names for your additional Switch profiles. That way, when Pokémon Sword and Shield comes out later this year you will be all ready to go.

If anything changes, we'll be sure to update you with any new information.