So, I decided to dive into modding Pokemon Sword and Shield a while back. Got a bit bored with the vanilla game, you know? Heard folks talking about what you could do, changing things up, getting Pokemon maybe you couldn’t find easily. Seemed like something interesting to try, figured I’d document how it went for me.
Getting Started – The Hardware Check
First thing, wasn’t even sure if my Switch could do it. Apparently, Nintendo got wise pretty quick, and newer Switches are locked down tight. Had to dig around for my serial number, check it against some lists people put together online. Felt a bit like playing detective. Luckily, mine was an older model, one of the hackable ones. Phew.
Next step: gear. Needed a decent microSD card, not just any old slow thing. Grabbed a big one, figured more space is better. Then there’s this little thing called an RCM jig. Looks like a bent paperclip in plastic, basically. You need it to trick the Switch into a special mode. Felt kinda sketchy ordering that, not gonna lie. And a USB-C cable, but everyone’s got tons of those lying around.
Finding the Right Stuff – Software Time
Okay, hardware sorted. Now the confusing part: the software. This is where things got messy. You hear names thrown around like Atmosphere, Hekate, sigpatches… Trying to find the latest, correct versions? Man, that was a task. Lots of guides out there, but so many are old, links are dead, or they tell you slightly different things.
- Spent a good hour just downloading files.
- Had to format the SD card just right (FAT32, they said).
- Copied everything over, trying to follow one guide I hoped was current.
You really gotta be patient here and double-check things. Felt like I was assembling IKEA furniture in the dark sometimes.
The Actual Process – Holding My Breath
Alright, moment of truth. Had to put the Switch into Recovery Mode (RCM). That meant turning it off completely, sliding that little jig into the right Joy-Con rail, and holding down the volume up button while pressing the power button. Felt weird doing it, like I was performing surgery.
Then, connect it to my computer. Had to inject something called a ‘payload’ using some software (TegraRcmGUI was the one I used, I think). Screen stays black, but the computer recognizes it. Success? Maybe.
The payload booted up this custom menu, Hekate. First thing everyone says: BACKUP YOUR NAND. This is like, a full system backup. If you screw up badly, this might save you. Let me tell you, this took AGES. Just sitting there, watching the progress bar crawl, hoping the power didn’t flicker or something. Stressful.
Running the Mods – Finally!
After the backup, booted into the custom firmware, Atmosphere. Looked just like the normal Switch menu, but under the hood, things were different. Had to find the actual mods for Sword/Shield then. Some folks use save editors like PKHeX, but you need tools on the Switch itself to export/import saves (like EdiZon or Checkpoint). Others involve replacing game files directly to change things like Pokemon appearances or stats.
I tried a simple one first, just altering some Pokemon stats slightly using a save editor. Exported my save, loaded it into PKHeX on my PC, made some changes, saved it, then imported it back onto the Switch. Booted up the game… and yeah, it worked. The changes were there.
Final Thoughts
So, I did it. Got mods working on Pokemon Sword. It lets you mess around, try different things, speed up breeding maybe, or just give yourself that shiny you’ve been hunting forever. Was it worth it?
Eh. It’s a process. A lot of steps, a lot of reading, and things can go wrong. You gotta constantly update stuff when Nintendo pushes out new firmware. And the big one: going online is risky. You mess up, or Nintendo detects the mods, you could get your console banned from online services. Completely. For me, playing online is a big part of Pokemon, so I mostly keep the modded stuff offline just messing around.
It was an interesting experiment, learned a bit about how the Switch works. But it’s definitely not something you just click a button and do. Takes time, patience, and you gotta accept the risks involved. Not for everyone, that’s for sure.
