The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Use Nintendo’s built-in transfer tools rather than copying storage. A direct user transfer moves one Nintendo Account user and that user’s saves between two Switch-family consoles. Nintendo Switch Online Save Data Cloud can restore a backup for supported games. If the destination is Nintendo Switch 2, System Transfer can move users, saves and other console data during setup. A microSD card, game card or simply signing in to the same account cannot carry your progress.
The right method depends on whether both consoles are available, whether the game supports Save Data Cloud and whether you are moving to Switch 2. Follow the matching procedure below before deleting, selling or initializing the old console.
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Choose the transfer route that fits your situation
| Situation | Best route | What it does | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Both Switch-family consoles are in front of you | Transfer Your User and Save Data | Moves one user and that user’s save data directly between consoles. | It is intended as a relocation, not a second independent copy. Software updates, screenshots, videos and console settings are not included. |
| You want a backup, or the destination is not available yet | Nintendo Switch Online Save Data Cloud | Uploads a supported game’s save and lets the same Nintendo Account download it on another Switch-family console. | Requires Nintendo Switch Online and game-specific cloud support. Downloading can overwrite the destination save and cannot be undone. |
| You are moving from Nintendo Switch to Nintendo Switch 2 | Switch 2 System Transfer | During Switch 2 setup, local communication can move users, saves, settings and other listed content. A server-upload option can prepare the move before the new console is available. | The server-upload route can initialize the source console. Uploaded data is retained for approximately 364 days, according to Nintendo Support in 2026. |
| Animal Crossing: New Horizons | Dedicated island transfer on Switch, or Switch 2 System Transfer when moving to Switch 2 | Moves the console-level island data. | The ordinary user/save-data transfer functions on Nintendo Switch do not handle the island. Switch 2 may require users to be linked to resident data after the move. |
Do not start by removing the microSD card or swapping a game card. Nintendo stores save data in the console’s system memory, not on either card.
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Prepare both consoles before moving anything
- Install the current system update on both consoles and connect each one to the internet.
- Confirm that the user whose progress you need is linked to a Nintendo Account. On the destination, use that same Nintendo Account for the corresponding user.
- Keep both consoles physically available for a direct transfer or local Switch 2 transfer.
- Connect both consoles to AC power. A transfer that stops because one console loses power can leave you unsure which step completed.
- Check the game’s Nintendo eShop details or its in-game options for Save Data Cloud support before choosing the cloud route.
- Make sure the destination has enough available system storage to download the game software and its updates again. Save data is separate from the software and update data.
If the old console is damaged, missing or about to be reset, do not initialize it until you have confirmed a usable cloud backup or completed Switch 2 server upload. A Nintendo Account sign-in by itself does not recreate saves.
#1 Best Overall
- The next evolution of Nintendo Switch
- One system, three play modes: TV, Tabletop, and Handheld
- Larger, vivid, 7.9” LCD touch screen with support for HDR and up to 120 fps
- Dock that supports 4K when connected to a compatible TV*
- GameChat** lets you voice chat, share your game screen, and connect via video chat as you play
Direct transfer between two Nintendo Switch-family consoles
What this method moves
Nintendo’s direct function transfers the selected user’s user-related information and that user’s save data. It is the practical choice when both consoles are available and you are changing where that user plays. The transfer does not include software update data, screenshots, videos or console settings, so plan to reinstall or redownload those items separately.
Run the transfer
- Update both consoles and connect them to the internet.
- Verify the user being moved is linked to a Nintendo Account. Link the same account to the corresponding user on the destination console.
- Connect both consoles to AC adapters and keep them close enough to complete the on-screen communication.
- On each console, open System Settings → Users → Transfer Your User and Save Data.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to identify the source console, the destination console and the user being transferred.
- Wait until both consoles report completion before closing the settings screens or powering either console off.
Finish after the move
Open the destination console’s software library and download the game and any required updates again. The save is separate from that software, so a missing game icon does not necessarily mean the save was lost. Screenshots and videos also need their own handling because this transfer does not carry them.
Treat a direct transfer as moving the user and progress to the new console, not as a guaranteed duplicate that you can continue using independently on both machines. If preserving the old console’s playable copy is your priority, use Save Data Cloud where the game supports it, and read the overwrite warning before downloading.
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Use Nintendo Switch Online Save Data Cloud
Check eligibility first
This route requires an active Nintendo Switch Online membership for the user and a game that supports Save Data Cloud. Support is not universal. Nintendo maintains the definitive compatibility information in the game’s Nintendo eShop details and the software’s options screen.
Rank #2
- 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
Games Nintendo lists as not supporting Save Data Cloud include:
- 1-2-Switch
- Splatoon 2
- Pokémon Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon Let’s Go, Eevee!
- Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- Pokémon UNITE
- Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl
- Pokémon Legends: Arceus
- Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet
- Pokémon Legends: Z-A
For these and other excluded titles, do not assume that a membership creates a recoverable copy. Use a direct transfer, the game’s dedicated migration process or Switch 2 System Transfer when applicable.
Back up on the old console
- On the old console, open the save-data management controls for the user with the Nintendo Switch Online membership.
- Select the game and back up its save data to Save Data Cloud. Wait for the upload to finish before shutting down or disconnecting the console.
- Repeat for each supported game whose progress you need. Nintendo maintains one cloud backup per Nintendo Account per software title, not an unlimited history of versions.
Download on the destination
- Link the same Nintendo Account to the corresponding user on the destination console.
- Install the game software if necessary and open the save-data cloud controls.
- Select the backup for the game and download it to the destination.
- Read the confirmation screen carefully. Nintendo warns that downloading a cloud backup can overwrite the destination console’s existing save for that game, and that overwrite cannot be undone.
Cloud download is useful when you want a recoverable backup rather than a one-time relocation. It still cannot bypass a title’s cloud restrictions, and it does not transfer screenshots, videos, settings or game software.
Move from Nintendo Switch to Nintendo Switch 2
Local System Transfer during setup
Nintendo offers System Transfer during Nintendo Switch 2 setup. With both consoles available, local communication can transfer users, save data, settings and other content identified in Nintendo’s setup flow. This is the broadest single route for a console upgrade, especially for games that do not support Save Data Cloud.
Rank #3
- 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)
- Leave the original Nintendo Switch powered and connected to AC power.
- Start Nintendo Switch 2 and choose the System Transfer option during initial setup.
- Follow the pairing and account prompts on both consoles.
- Keep the consoles near each other and powered until the setup reports completion.
- Check the destination users and launch several important games before disposing of or resetting the old console.
Nintendo’s Switch 2 guidance says this transfer can carry saves for software that does not support Save Data Cloud, including Splatoon 2 and Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet. That makes System Transfer materially different from relying on an online backup.
Server-upload transfer when Switch 2 is not in hand
Nintendo also provides a server-upload option. The original Switch uploads the transfer package so it can be retrieved when you set up Switch 2. Nintendo Support states that uploaded data is retained for approximately 364 days (2026 guidance).
Use this option only if you accept its consequence: Nintendo says the source console can be initialized by the server-upload route. That can remove the local data you hoped to keep, so confirm that the upload is appropriate before starting and do not choose it merely as a casual backup.
Animal Crossing during a Switch 2 move
Switch 2 System Transfer can carry the Animal Crossing: New Horizons island even though ordinary Nintendo Switch user/save-data transfer and Save Data Cloud do not support the game’s island data. After the move, Nintendo says users may need to be linked to resident data if the setup prompts for that step.
Rank #4
- This pre-owned product is not Apple certified, but has been professionally inspected, tested and cleaned by Amazon-qualified suppliers.
- 6.2” LCD screen.
- Three play modes: TV, tabletop, and handheld
- Local co-op, online, and local wireless multiplayer
- Detachable Joy-Con controllers
Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Nintendo Switch
On Nintendo Switch, the island is console-level data rather than an ordinary individual user save. The standard System Settings → Users → Transfer Your User and Save Data function therefore cannot move it. Use Nintendo’s dedicated island-transfer service instead.
Plan the island move separately from ordinary game saves. A user transfer can complete successfully while the island remains on the original console, so check the island-specific instructions before erasing, selling or giving away that console.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why common transfer attempts fail
Copying a microSD card
Save data is stored in console system memory. A microSD card can contain downloadable software and other files, but copying its contents does not copy game progress.
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Packaged software does not store your save on the game card. Inserting the same card into another console provides the game, not the original console’s progress.
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.
Only signing in to the Nintendo Account
Account authentication identifies the user; it does not automatically synchronize every save. Use direct transfer or download a supported Save Data Cloud backup.
Expecting every game to appear in the cloud
Cloud support is a title-by-title decision. The Pokémon, Splatoon, Animal Crossing and other examples listed above demonstrate why checking the game’s own support information matters before you reset the old console.
Troubleshoot a transfer that did not work
The consoles cannot find each other
- Confirm both systems are updated and connected to the internet.
- Connect both AC adapters and keep the consoles close together.
- Exit the transfer screens on both systems and reopen System Settings → Users → Transfer Your User and Save Data.
- Make sure you selected one source and one destination rather than trying to start two source sessions.
The destination has the game but not the progress
- Check that the destination user is linked to the same Nintendo Account as the source user.
- Confirm you transferred the user that actually held the save; another local user can have a separate save.
- Download the game software and updates again. Their absence does not prove the save transfer failed.
- If you used cloud, verify that the title supports Save Data Cloud and that the backup finished on the old console.
The cloud download would replace a newer destination save
Stop at the confirmation screen if the destination contains progress you might need. Nintendo’s warning says the overwrite cannot be undone. Decide which version is authoritative before accepting the download; the service does not provide an undo button for that replacement.
A game is on the unsupported list
Do not keep retrying cloud commands. Use the direct transfer while both consoles are available, the dedicated Animal Crossing island service for that game, or Switch 2 System Transfer when upgrading to Nintendo Switch 2.
The old console is unavailable
A direct transfer requires both consoles. A cloud restore is possible only if the user had Nintendo Switch Online, the title supported cloud backup and a completed backup exists. For a Switch 2 upgrade, the server-upload System Transfer may help, but remember the approximately 364-day retention period and the possibility that the source was initialized.
Keep the old console or move permanently?
Choose direct transfer when your goal is to relocate a user and continue on the new console. Choose Save Data Cloud when you need a backup that can be downloaded to another Switch-family console and the game supports it. Choose local Switch 2 System Transfer when upgrading hardware and you want the broader set of users, saves and settings moved together. For an unavailable destination, consider server upload only after accepting its source-initialization behavior.
Nintendo publishes no universal transfer-time estimate. Duration varies with the amount of data, the connection and the route, so schedule the move when both consoles can remain powered and undisturbed.
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Quick Recap
Final pre-reset checklist
- Every required user appears on the destination and is linked to the correct Nintendo Account.
- Important games launch and show the expected progress.
- Unsupported titles were moved by direct transfer, dedicated service or Switch 2 System Transfer rather than assumed cloud backup.
- Animal Crossing island data was handled with the island-specific process or Switch 2 System Transfer.
- Games, updates, screenshots and videos that were not included in the selected route have been downloaded or copied through their own supported methods.
- You have accepted the route’s retention behavior before initializing or disposing of the old console.
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