The Tool Desk
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Choose the transfer method that matches your situation
| Method | What it moves | When to use it | Important limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| User Transfer | A user and associated information, including the linked Nintendo Account, user settings, friends, play activity, and that user’s save data. | Moving a user to another Nintendo Switch family console. | Some game saves are exceptions; it is not a guarantee that every kind of console data moves. See Nintendo’s Switch transfer guidance. |
| Save Data Transfer | Save data for a game, rather than the entire user profile. | Moving a specific game save between consoles, including to Switch 2 after its initial setup. | The source save is deleted, and an existing destination save for that game is overwritten. Both corresponding users must use the same Nintendo Account. Details: Nintendo’s Switch transfer guidance and Nintendo Switch 2 support. |
| Save Data Cloud | A cloud-backed save for a supported game. | Keeping two consoles in use and downloading a supported save to another console. | Not every game supports cloud saves. Check the game’s eShop product information; use direct save transfer for unsupported titles where available. See Nintendo’s save-data guidance. |
| Switch 2 System Transfer | Saves and settings, along with other system-transfer categories. | Moving from Switch-family hardware to Switch 2 during Switch 2 initial setup. | Available only during initial setup. Nintendo documents local communication and a temporary server-upload option for people giving up the source before getting the destination. See Nintendo Switch 2 support and Nintendo’s whole-system transfer guidance. |
Move to another Nintendo Switch family console
Move a user and that user’s associated data
If the old console is being replaced and you want a user profile and its associated saves moved together, choose Nintendo’s User Transfer flow. Switch family console types can transfer among one another. Have both consoles available, connect them to the internet, install current system software, make sure the account is linked to the user being transferred, and keep the consoles connected to AC power. Follow the on-screen steps in Nintendo’s User Transfer instructions.
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Do not assume this moves every item on the console. Nintendo distinguishes transferable and non-transferable data, and some game saves require a different route.
Move one game’s save
On the consoles, open HOME Menu → System Settings → Data Management → Transfer Your Save Data, then follow the prompts to send or receive the save. The corresponding users on both consoles must be linked to the same Nintendo Account.
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- The next evolution of Nintendo Switch
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- GameChat** lets you voice chat, share your game screen, and connect via video chat as you play
This is a move, not a backup: the transferred save is removed from the source console. If the destination already has a save for that game, the transfer overwrites it. Check the destination before proceeding. Nintendo’s transfer instructions describe the process and its conditions.
Download a cloud-backed save while keeping both consoles
If you use both consoles and want to retrieve a backed-up save, use Nintendo Switch Online Save Data Cloud for a game that supports it. The save available is the one backed up to the service; cloud support is not available for every game. Check a title’s eShop product information or Nintendo’s save-data guidance. For a game without cloud-save support, use direct Save Data Transfer if that title permits it.
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- 6.2” LCD screen
- Three play modes: TV, tabletop, and handheld
- Local co-op, online, and local wireless multiplayer
- Detachable Joy-Con controllers
- Nintendo Switch is the home of Mario & friends
Move from Nintendo Switch to Switch 2
If Switch 2 is still in initial setup
Choose System Transfer (まるごと転送, or whole-system transfer) during Switch 2’s initial setup. Nintendo provides local communication as the direct method and also documents a temporary server-upload option for people who will give up the old console before they have the new one. If the old console will remain available, Nintendo recommends local transfer. Some data is deleted from the source during transfer, so do not treat every transfer variation as a copy that leaves all original data untouched.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsSystem Transfer is a setup-time option, not the same procedure as the standard Switch User Transfer. Follow the route and prompts Nintendo provides for Switch 2 in its whole-system transfer guidance and Switch 2 support.
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- Play your way with the Nintendo Switch gaming system. Whether you’re at home or on the go, solo or with friends, the Nintendo Switch system is designed to fit your life. Dock your Nintendo Switch to enjoy HD gaming on your TV. Heading out? Just undock your console and keep playing in handheld mode
- This model includes battery life of approximately 4.5 - 9 hours.
- The battery life will depend on the games you play. For instance, the battery will last approximately 5.5 hours for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (games sold separately)
- Model number HAC 001( 01)
If Switch 2 setup is already complete
Use Save Data Transfer for eligible game saves. Connect both consoles to the internet and sign in to the same Nintendo Account on the corresponding users. Start the transfer from the source console using HOME Menu → System Settings → Data Management → Transfer Your Save Data. The source save is deleted after transfer, and some game saves cannot be moved through this ordinary feature. Nintendo’s Switch 2 support instructions cover this route.
Handle Animal Crossing: New Horizons separately
Animal Crossing: New Horizons stores one island save per console, shared by that console’s users. Nintendo says the standard User Transfer and Save Data Transfer functions cannot move this shared island save. Use the dedicated Animal Crossing: New Horizons Save Data Transfer process for an island or eligible player transfer. The Island Representative cannot be transferred as an individual player.
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- 6.2” LCD screen.
- Three play modes: TV, tabletop, and handheld
- Local co-op, online, and local wireless multiplayer
- Detachable Joy-Con controllers
If you use Switch 2 System Transfer, Nintendo says the island save transfers with it, so you do not need the separate island-transfer process for that move. Check Nintendo’s Switch 2 transfer guidance for the current steps.
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- Identify the destination and setup state. Decide whether you are moving to another Switch-family console or Switch 2, and whether Switch 2 initial setup is still underway.
- Choose what to move. Use User Transfer for a user and associated data, Save Data Transfer for an eligible individual save, cloud download for a supported game, or Switch 2 System Transfer during initial setup.
- Prepare accounts and consoles. Keep both consoles available for local transfers; connect them as required, update system software, and use the same Nintendo Account for save-only transfer.
- Check exceptions and destination data. Confirm that the specific game supports the method you chose. Remember that direct save transfer removes the source save and can overwrite an existing destination save; handle an Animal Crossing island through its dedicated process unless using Switch 2 System Transfer.
- Finish separate tasks. Nintendo lists screenshots and videos, microSD data, Virtual Game Card setup, and title-specific setup as separate replacement tasks. Review its replacement-console checklist rather than assuming they moved with the user or save.
- Verify before initializing. On the destination, open the transferred user and check access to the games and saves you need. Do not initialize the old console until you have confirmed the result.
Before giving away or disposing of a console, Nintendo advises initializing it and removing the microSD card. Initialization erases console data; software data stored on the card becomes unusable. See Nintendo’s replacement-console guidance.
Best Value
- One player can use a Joy-Con in each hand
- Two players can each take one
- Multiple Joy-Con can be employed by numerous people for a variety of gameplay options (additional Joy-Con sold separately)
- Slip a set of Joy-Con into a Joy-Con grip accessory, mirroring a more traditional controller. Or, select an optional Nintendo Switch Pro Controller.
What can vary by game or transfer route
Nintendo notes that some titles’ saves cannot be transferred through the general save-transfer feature, and some games do not support Save Data Cloud. The available evidence does not establish a complete, current list of every title-specific exception, so check the game’s eShop information and its current official support page before starting.
Do not assume system settings, screenshots, video captures, update data, or all game data move with every method. Nintendo treats these as distinct data categories and lists some replacement tasks separately. The available support pages are primarily in Japanese, with Switch 2 instructions also available from Nintendo Singapore; menu wording may differ by system language and software version.
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