Finding 5 Digit TID/SID

This tutorial provides several methods to find your 5 digit TID/SID combination in Sword/Shield. Knowing these values is necessary if you wish to RNG abuse shiny Pokémon from overworld encounters.

Possible Methods

It is not possible to RNG abuse your TID or SID in Sword/Shield. This tutorial is only for finding your internal TID/SID on an existing save file. There are three possible methods you can use:

Using SysBot.NET

SysBot.NET is a bot service hosted by members of the community, typically found in Discord servers. If you do not have access to a SysBot, you can find a public server with a quick Google search.

SysBots come with dump functionality, which dumps the data of the shown Pokémon into a .pk8 file. This file is then uploaded to your Discord messages.

The file can then be manually inspected using a program like PKHeX to view your TID/SID combination. This method is recommended as it takes the least effort, but does require a Nintendo Switch Online subscription.

Help from a Friend

If you have a friend with a CFW Switch console, you can trade with them and they can dump the Pokémon file for you. It can then be opened in PKHeX.

Finding a Shiny Pokémon

If you do not want to use anyone's CFW, it is possible to find TID/SID using entirely stock methods. This is very time-consuming as you will need to find a shiny Pokémon. The older swsh-overworld-rng-gui program can help with the calculation. However, the steps will not be covered in this guide.


Finding TID/SID using CFW

As mentioned above, by having access to a CFW Switch console we can easily find our TID/SID combination. The method will differ slightly depending on if you are using a SysBot or asking a friend to help.

Keep in mind that SysBot hosts are not constantly available. Join a public server that contains an active Sword/Shield bot, then follow the instructions given by the bot host. If you do not have a Discord account you will need to make one or ask a friend for help instead.

Using CFW - Instructions
Requirements
  • PKHeX
  • Nintendo Switch Online Subscription
  • A Discord account (for SysBot.NET)
Tutorial
  • Extract the contents of the PKHeX download into an empty folder in a known location on your PC.
  • Click Options at the top of the window, then click Settings. Change the Blank Save Version to Sword or Shield. Close this window.
  • Dump the .pk8 file of a Pokémon that was caught in the save file you wish to check the TID/SID on with a SysBot or with a friend's help.
  • Drag the file into the PKHeX window. You should now see the details on screen. Head over to the OT/Misc tab to view Trainer Information.
  • Hover over the TID field with your mouse. This will reveal the 5 digit TID/SID combination. Take note of these values, as you will need them for any RNG manipulation involving shiny Pokémon.

Figure 1 - TID/SID PKHeX Lookup

tid-sid-1

In this example we can see that the TID/SID combination is 28888/10267. We can now enter these values into owoow's Profiles subwindow for future use.

Figure 2 - Adding Your Profile

tid-sid-2
Adding Your Profile
  1. Open the Profiles subwindow and give your profile a name that you can easily recognize.
  2. Enter the IDs given by PKHeX into the TID & SID fields, then select the Shiny Charm & Mark Charm checkboxes if those items are present in your save file.
  3. Select your game version. Confirm that all of the information entered is correct. Incorrect information will cause inaccuracies when searching for targets.
  4. Click the Add button to save your profile, then click the Select button to apply the details to the main window.
  5. Repeat this process if you have multiple profiles you wish to add to the list. Swapping profiles is as easy as selecting your chosen profile in the list on the left and clicking the Select button again.

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