How to soft reset Pokemon Sword and Shield

Soft resetting has been a gameplay tactic for trainers since the very first Pokemon games because players not only want to catch 'em all, but they want to catch the best of 'em all. The best starters, the shinies, the ones with the best IV and more. And a cheeky soft reset or 100 would be the way to do that. Which is why a lot of people are wondering how to soft reset Pokemon Sword and Shield. 

Well, I have a bit of a sad tale to tell you folks. Whereas the last few main series' entries had a sequence of buttons you could press to head back to the title screen, it looks like there's no shortcut for Pokemon Sword and Shield.  Instead, here's what you need to do if you want to know how to soft reset Pokemon Sword and Shield

How to soft reset Pokemon Sword and Shield

To soft reset Pokemon Sword and Shield you'll need to physically close down the game and boot it back up again by doing the following sequence. 

Hit the home button > Hover over the game's icon > Press X > Choose to close the software > Restart your Pokemon Sword / Shield game

So, it's not technically a soft reset at all anymore, but rather a restart without having to shut down your entire Switch console. It's one of the things that has changed with Pokemon Sword and Shield, but there are also other elements that make the soft reset less essential than before. 

For example, the Pokemon Sword and Shield starters cannot be shiny when they first spawn. Instead, if you want to get a shiny Scorbunny, Sobble or Grookey you're going to have to breed them at the Daycare centre on Route 5. 

Why would I need to soft reset in Pokemon Sword and Shield?

Well, according to Reddit user BenignLarency, using the soft reset you can effectively get infinite shiny Raid Pokemon, along with infinite high IV Pokemon, items and more. 

To do this you'll need to:

1. Save before each raid until you find a shiny raid

2. Reset once you've found the shiny

3. Invite up to three friends to the determined shiny raid

4. Have friends catch shiny

5. Reset console (and go back to step 2)

Just remember that Raids reset at midnight, and that you might want to turn off the autosave feature to give you full control of when you save in the game. 

Want your Pokemon dressed properly? Find out how to get the Pokemon Sword and Shield fiery outfit for Ballonlea here!