On the original Nintendo Switch, you can move downloaded games, downloadable content, and some update data from the console to a compatible microSD card. Open Settings → Data Management → Move Data Between Console/microSD Card, select Move to microSD Card, choose the software, and follow the prompts. Your save data remains in the console’s internal storage, so moving a game does not erase your progress.
What moving a Switch game actually does
The Switch treats a game’s software files and its save data as different kinds of storage. The move function relocates software files; it does not relocate the saved progress associated with your user profile.
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| Data type | Can it move to microSD? | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Downloaded games | Yes | Use the Move Data Between Console/microSD Card menu. |
| Downloadable content | Yes | Add-on content is treated as software data. |
| Some update data | Generally part of software management | Nintendo notes that some update data may remain in console storage. |
| Save data | No | Save data is stored only in the console’s internal memory and cannot be moved to a microSD card or game card. |
| Screenshots and videos | Managed separately | They occupy storage and need their own review or copy process. |
Because saves stay in console memory, moving a large download to the card is normally a storage-management operation rather than a backup operation. Do not treat a microSD card as the only copy of important progress.
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Before you start: check space and the card
Check how much room is left
On the console, open Settings → Data Management. The screen shows the remaining space in console memory and on the installed microSD card. This lets you identify whether the immediate problem is a full internal drive, a full card, or both.
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Use a Nintendo-compatible capacity
Nintendo’s current guidance for the original Switch covers the following card classes:
| Card type | Supported capacity | Important condition |
|---|---|---|
| microSD | Up to 2GB | Basic-capacity cards. |
| microSDHC | 4GB–32GB | Useful for a small library, but limited for modern downloads. |
| microSDXC | 64GB–2TB | Requires an internet-connected system update before use. |
Nintendo recommends a UHS-I card with a read-speed rating of roughly 60–95MB/s. A faster card does not increase a game’s frame rate; the recommendation is about loading and data-transfer convenience. A practical shopping description is Nintendo Switch-compatible 256GB microSDXC UHS-I card. Capacities above 256GB are within Nintendo’s stated 64GB–2TB microSDXC range, but authenticity, warranty coverage, current stock, and price per gigabyte still matter.
- Capacity: estimate how many downloaded games and expansions you expect to keep installed.
- UHS-I rating: use Nintendo’s recommended performance class rather than paying solely for a higher theoretical speed.
- Authenticity: buy from a source with a clear return policy; counterfeit cards can report a false capacity and corrupt copied files.
- Price per gigabyte: compare the total price with usable capacity, not just the headline size.
Card prices and availability change, so verify the current capacity, UHS-I specification, regional compatibility, and warranty at the time of purchase.
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How to move a downloaded game to the microSD card
- Insert the compatible microSD card into the Switch and let the console recognize it. If it is a microSDXC card, complete the required internet-connected system update first.
- From the HOME Menu, open System Settings.
- Select Data Management.
- Choose Move Data Between Console/microSD Card.
- Select Move to microSD Card.
- Select the downloaded game, downloadable content, or other listed software data you want to relocate.
- Confirm the move and leave the console on the on-screen process until it reports completion.
The available list depends on what is installed and what the console can move. If a title is not listed, it may already be on the card, may not have movable software data, or the card may not have been recognized.
Move software back to console memory
Use the same menu path—Settings → Data Management → Move Data Between Console/microSD Card—then choose Move to Console Memory. Select the software and confirm. This is useful when removing the card, troubleshooting a card, or keeping a particular installation in internal storage.
Do not interrupt a move
Nintendo does not publish a guaranteed transfer duration. The time depends on the amount of data, the card, and the operation. Avoid removing the card or interrupting the console while the move is in progress, and wait for the completion message rather than assuming it has finished.
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Organize or delete software data
Open Settings → Data Management and use the software-management options to organize or delete titles you are not currently using. Nintendo says this removes the software data but preserves the associated save data and the software icon on the HOME Menu. You can download the software again later with the Nintendo Account that purchased it, as long as Nintendo still offers that title for redownload.
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Review screenshots and videos
Captures are separate storage items and can consume meaningful space even after games have been moved or deleted. In Data Management, review the screenshots and videos section and remove captures you no longer need or copy them using the method supported by your console and computer. Do not expect moving game software to clear capture storage automatically.
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A practical order of operations
- Check the free-space figures in Settings → Data Management.
- Move the largest downloaded games or expansions to the microSD card.
- Organize or delete software you do not need immediately, keeping its icon and saves intact.
- Review screenshots and videos separately.
What to do when the microSD card is full
You have two choices: remove software data you can redownload, or replace the card with a larger one. If you delete software, use the purchasing Nintendo Account for the later redownload and confirm that Nintendo still lists the title as available. If you replace the card, use a complete-card migration rather than trying to move individual folders casually.
How to transfer everything to a larger microSD card
Windows-PC method
Nintendo documents a Windows workflow that copies the card’s Nintendo folder to the new card. Keep the original card and its data untouched until you have verified that the copy is complete.
- Finish any pending downloads or moves on the original card.
- Remove the original card and connect it to a Windows PC with a compatible card reader.
- Copy the entire Nintendo folder from the old card to a temporary location on the PC. Do not copy only a game’s subfolder.
- Prepare the larger card according to Nintendo’s card-transfer instructions, then connect it to the PC.
- Copy the complete Nintendo folder onto the larger card.
- Eject the new card safely, install it in the Switch, and verify that the expected software appears before discarding or reusing the old card.
Do not erase the old card until the new one has been checked. Nintendo warns that data from multiple cards cannot later be merged into one card, and individual software data cannot be copied separately to another card as a supported migration method.
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If you cannot use a Windows PC
Nintendo’s support guidance describes formatting the new card in the console and then redownloading software and add-ons. This takes longer and uses internet bandwidth, but it avoids relying on a computer-based folder copy. Captures require their own copy process; they are not automatically restored by redownloading games.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshooting common storage problems
The microSD card does not appear
- Confirm that the card is one of Nintendo’s supported classes and capacities.
- If it is microSDXC, connect the Switch to the internet and complete the required system update.
- Remove and reinstall the card, then return to Settings → Data Management to check whether its capacity is shown.
- Check the card’s authenticity and return options if its reported capacity or behavior is inconsistent.
The move option is unavailable or a game is missing from the list
- Verify that the card is recognized in Data Management.
- Check whether the title’s software data is already on the card.
- Remember that save data is not a movable item, so a save by itself will never appear as a transferable file.
- If the card has insufficient free space, delete or move another software installation first.
The console still reports low internal storage
Some update data may remain in console storage even after a game is moved. Also check screenshots, videos, and other software that has not been relocated. The storage display in Data Management is the authoritative place to identify which category is consuming the remaining space.
A card replacement copy fails
- Keep the old card intact and repeat the copy of the complete Nintendo folder.
- Do not combine folders from two different cards; Nintendo does not support merging their data later.
- Do not assume that copying one game’s folder alone will create a valid migration.
- If the Windows workflow is not practical, format the replacement card in the console and redownload the software and add-ons.
Choosing the right capacity for your library
A 64GB card is the smallest microSDXC capacity in Nintendo’s stated range, while 128GB and 256GB cards provide more room for a mixed downloaded library without immediately moving to the largest capacities. A 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB card can reduce how often you replace cards, but the value depends on the price per gigabyte and whether you will actually keep that much software installed.
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|---|---|---|
| Mostly physical game cards | Choose enough space for updates, downloadable content, and captures. | Update data and captures can still fill the card or console. |
| Several downloaded games | 256GB is a practical starting phrase for shopping, subject to price and availability. | Confirm microSDXC, UHS-I, authenticity, and warranty. |
| Large all-digital library | Consider a larger capacity within Nintendo’s 64GB–2TB microSDXC range. | Ensure the card is genuine and retain the old card during migration. |
Storage capacity does not change game performance or frame rate. The main benefits are keeping more software installed and reducing the need to delete and redownload titles.
Quick Recap
Key points to remember
- The exact move path is Settings → Data Management → Move Data Between Console/microSD Card.
- Choose Move to microSD Card for downloaded software, downloadable content, and listed software data; choose Move to Console Memory to reverse it.
- Save data remains in console storage and cannot be moved to a microSD card or game card.
- Nintendo supports microSDXC capacities from 64GB through 2TB and recommends UHS-I read speeds around 60–95MB/s.
- Deleting software data preserves the save and HOME Menu icon, and eligible purchases can be redownloaded through the purchasing Nintendo Account.
- A larger-card upgrade uses a complete Nintendo-folder copy on Windows; cards cannot be merged, and individual software data cannot be copied as a standalone migration.
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