Just like many of the other Switch games, the console’s internal clock is really important in Pokémon Sword and Shield. The base game, and its new DLC Isle of Armor, also take advantage of the clock to make certain features work. The biggest change with the time is that certain Pokémon only show up during certain weather conditions. So if you’re trying to farm for a certain Pokémon, you may need to control the weather in Isle of Armor.
The game tilts the scales a bit, and it doesn’t always mean that if you change the clock that it will always result in the same weather pattern. The date generally weights the spawn of a given weather system, and you can use this guide to figure out what date you want.
Certain Pokemon can only spawn in certain weather conditions, so you need to check each area to find the right types.
First, make sure to set your Switch to offline mode so that the trick works. Open up System Settings, go to the System tab, and select the Date and Time options. The Switch won’t connect to the internet to pull the correct time, so the change will stick. However, there is something you need to be aware of with the DLC.
In original Pokémon Sword and Shield, the weather was based on the first day of the month. The DLC has shifted things to the 15th day of the month. For example, if you wanted snowy weather, you would set your console to Dec. 15 rather than Dec. 1 like in the base game.
If you’re out farming more Armorite Ore, this is a good time to hunt for various roster entries, and this trick helps with that.
The variety of weather conditions in the game will vary based on the date chosen. Here are all of the dates for the weather selections in the Isle of Armor:
- January 15th – Foggy
- February 15th – Cloudy skies
- March 15th – Clear skies
- April 15th – Rainy
- May 15th – Intense sun
- June 15th – Rainy
- July 15th – Thunderstorms
- August 15th – Thunderstorms
- September 15th – Clear skies
- October 15th – Foggy
- November 15th – Clear skies
- December 15th – Intense sun