Does Pokemon Sword and Shield have more save slots?

Each player's experience with a Pokemon game can vary greatly depending on the Pokemon they use in a playthrough. In fact, for many players, Pokemon's main appeal is to use new and exciting monsters on your team. This means that many players would like to be able to use multiple save slots to experience the latest entry in the series, Pokemon Sword and Shield, with different combinations of new Pokemon. With the first home console game in the series, did Game Freak finally make this possibility possible? In this Pokemon Sword and Shield multiple save slot guide, we'll cover everything you need to know about creating multiple Sword and Shield saves.

Can you have more saves in Pokemon Sword and Shield?

As is the case with many other features of the first console Pokemon game - especially multiplayer ones, like visiting friend camps and trading specific Pokemon - players hoping for more save slots in Pokemon Sword and Shield are likely disappointed. There is no way for a single Nintendo Switch profile to have multiple Sword and Shield playthroughs at the same time. However, because the Nintendo Switch game stores saves on the console rather than the game cartridge, it's still possible to have multiple playthroughs with just one copy of the game for the first time in the series - you'll just have to use a bit of a workaround.

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How to start multiple Pokemon Sword and Shield playthroughs

To create more than one save, you simply need to create multiple Nintendo Switch user profiles. To do this, go to System Settings on the Home screen, scroll down to Users and select "Add User". After creating additional profiles, you will have the option to select one of them at Sword or Shield startup, which allows you to restart the game without losing progress in saving the other profile.

This method has an unfortunate drawback, however: if you want to play Max Raid Battles with friends or access other online features, each account you create will need its own Nintendo Switch Online account. You can't distribute a single subscription across multiple accounts on the same Switch, so each of your profiles will need a login. Fortunately, there is a Nintendo Switch Online Family Membership option, which allows you to add up to eight profiles as members of your "family group" for less than double the cost of an individual membership. (Individual memberships cost $ 19,99 per year, while family memberships cost $ 34,99 per year.) Of course, paying an additional $ 15 for online access with a second save isn't the ideal scenario, but it's the only way to experience the full game multiple times without losing progress.