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Choose the transfer method before you start
Your best route depends on whether both consoles are in front of you, whether Switch 2 is still going through its first-time setup, and whether you need to keep playing on the original Switch. These are separate Nintendo features, not interchangeable names for the same process.
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| Method | Best situation | Nintendo Switch Online required? | What happens to the old save? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearby-console save-data transfer | Both the original Switch and Switch 2 are available and you are ready to move the save now | No | The selected file is deleted from the source console after it is sent |
| System Transfer during Switch 2 setup | Switch 2 is still in its initial setup and you want to move games, eligible saves and settings together | The transfer guide requires an active internet connection; Nintendo Switch Online is not identified as a requirement for this setup transfer | The transfer handles the data according to the setup flow; follow the on-screen instructions for the source and destination systems |
| Save Data Cloud | The old console is unavailable or you want to restore an online backup | Yes, for the Nintendo Switch Online cloud service | Only a compatible cloud backup can be downloaded, and Ocarina of Time compatibility must be checked for the specific app |
For most people with both systems present, nearby transfer is the clearest choice. It is the only option in this list whose Nintendo instructions explicitly describe moving a save directly between two nearby consoles without a Nintendo Switch Online membership.
What you need for nearby transfer
Prepare both consoles before opening the transfer menu. Missing one of these conditions can prevent the systems from finding each other or can make the relevant user unavailable.
#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
- The original Nintendo Switch containing the Ocarina of Time save.
- A Nintendo Switch 2 that can receive the data.
- Internet access for both consoles.
- The consoles placed near each other during the transfer.
- Current system software on the old Switch; update it before beginning.
- The same Nintendo Account linked to the relevant user on both consoles.
- The compatible Zelda software installed or otherwise available on Switch 2 so that the transferred data has a game or app in which to be used.
The account requirement is about the user profile attached to the save. If the save belongs to one profile on the old Switch, select that same person’s profile on Switch 2 rather than a different local user. A Nintendo Account link is not the same thing as merely giving two profiles the same nickname.
Keep both consoles powered during the operation. Do not treat the process as a way to create a safety copy: Nintendo’s instruction says that, once sent, the save-data file is deleted from the source system. If you still want to use the original save on the old Switch, stop and consider whether a cloud-compatible backup is available before sending it.
Transfer the save from Switch to Switch 2
1. Update and connect both consoles
On the old Switch, install any available system update. Connect both systems to the internet and bring them close together. The nearby feature is designed for two consoles that can communicate while physically near one another; leaving one system elsewhere on the network does not satisfy that condition.
Confirm that the user who owns the save is present on both systems and that the user is linked to the same Nintendo Account. If Switch 2 has several profiles, do not guess which one should receive the file. Match the profile to the account used by the sending user.
2. Open the sending menu on the old Switch
- Open System Settings on the original Switch.
- Select Data Management.
- Choose Transfer Your Save Data.
- Select Send Save Data to Another Console.
The wording matters: choose the send command on the old console. The receiving system must use its receive option when prompted. If you open the receive side on both consoles, neither system has been designated as the source.
3. Select the user and Zelda save
Choose the user profile that contains your Ocarina of Time progress. Nintendo’s transfer tool then presents save data that can be sent. Select the Ocarina of Time save associated with the Nintendo 64 Nintendo Switch Online application, if that is the version you use, and confirm the send action.
Read the confirmation carefully before accepting it. The nearby transfer is a move, not a copy. Once Nintendo’s process sends the selected file, it is removed from the old console. A completed transfer therefore leaves the Switch 2 version as the location of that save.
4. Receive the file on Switch 2
On Switch 2, open the corresponding save-data transfer controls and choose the option to receive data from another console. Keep the systems close, connected and powered while the consoles establish the transfer and finish writing the file.
Do not launch the game or shut down either system while the transfer is still in progress. Wait for the system to report completion. If the consoles cannot see each other, return to the preparation checks: internet access, proximity, current software and the same linked Nintendo Account on the source and destination users.
Rank #2
- The next evolution of the Nintendo Switch system
- 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
- Supports up to 4K resolution** when using a compatible game and TV connected via the included Nintendo Switch 2 dock
- Nintendo Switch 2 plays compatible physical and digital Nintendo Switch games.***
5. Verify the result in the game
After the system confirms completion, start the Ocarina of Time application on Switch 2 with the user who received the data. Check that the expected save slot, progress and in-game position appear. Verification is useful before you reorganize profiles or reset the old console, because it confirms that you opened the title with the intended user.
If the save appears on Switch 2, remember that the old console no longer holds the transferred file. Do not delete the game application or user profile on Switch 2 until you have opened the title and confirmed the result.
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If Switch 2 is still in its initial setup, Nintendo provides a broader System Transfer route. Nintendo describes this process as moving digital games, certain save data and settings from Switch to Switch 2. It is intended for setting up the new console as a continuation of the old one rather than moving one selected save after setup is complete.
Nintendo’s requirements include an active internet connection and at least one user profile with a linked Nintendo Account. Make sure the old Switch is available and ready before you begin; the setup process needs both systems to identify the source and destination.
When System Transfer is the better choice
- You have not finished the first-time setup on Switch 2.
- You want to move eligible digital games, settings and certain saves together instead of selecting one save file.
- You are replacing the old Switch as your primary system and prefer to follow Nintendo’s guided migration flow.
When to use nearby transfer instead
- Switch 2 has already completed setup.
- You only need the Ocarina of Time save rather than a broader migration.
- You want the explicit nearby-console procedure, which Nintendo states does not require Nintendo Switch Online.
Start System Transfer from the setup screens on Switch 2 and follow the prompts that identify the old Switch as the source. Because Nintendo describes the feature as moving “certain” save data, do not assume every title or app is included automatically. If the setup flow does not list the Ocarina of Time data you expect, finish setup and use the nearby save-data transfer menu instead, provided both consoles remain available.
Can Save Data Cloud move the Ocarina of Time save?
Nintendo Switch Online includes Save Data Cloud for the vast majority of Switch 2 and Switch games. Members can download a compatible backup on another console where the game is playable. That wording is important: cloud support is determined by the individual game or app, not guaranteed for every save on the system.
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Nintendo’s published compatibility information does not explicitly identify the Ocarina of Time save used by the Nintendo 64 Nintendo Switch Online app. Therefore, do not buy or renew Nintendo Switch Online solely on the assumption that this particular save can be restored. Check the current Save Data Cloud compatibility indicator for the app on your consoles and account.
Use cloud restore only after checking compatibility
- On the original Switch, confirm that the Ocarina of Time app and its save show an available Save Data Cloud backup for the relevant user.
- On Switch 2, sign in with the same Nintendo Account and use the cloud-save controls for that user.
- Confirm that the app is playable on Switch 2 and that the backup is listed as compatible before downloading it.
- Open the app with the matching user and verify the save slot after the download completes.
If no compatible backup is shown, cloud restore cannot be treated as a reliable route for this save. In that situation, nearby transfer is preferable when the original console is still available. Cloud is also the only practical path when the old console cannot be used, but only if the app had a valid, compatible backup.
Which route fits your situation?
Both consoles are available and Switch 2 is already set up
Use nearby-console transfer. It does not require Nintendo Switch Online, and its menu lets you select the user and save rather than migrating the entire system. Plan for the source file to disappear from the old Switch when the send operation completes.
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Switch 2 is still in initial setup
Choose System Transfer if you want eligible games, saves and settings moved as part of the new-console setup. Ensure the internet connection is active and at least one profile has a linked Nintendo Account. If you only want Ocarina of Time and would rather choose the file yourself, complete setup only if necessary and then use nearby transfer.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsYou want to keep playing the old save on the original Switch
Do not start nearby transfer until you are comfortable losing the source copy. Nintendo explicitly warns that the sent file is deleted from the source system. First check whether the specific Ocarina of Time app reports Save Data Cloud compatibility for your account. If it does not, the documented nearby transfer process does not provide a duplicate.
The old Switch is unavailable
Nearby transfer and System Transfer both depend on access to the source console. Your remaining possibility is a compatible Save Data Cloud backup associated with the same Nintendo Account. Because Nintendo’s available compatibility description does not specifically name the Ocarina of Time app save, verify the indicator rather than assuming restoration will work.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot a failed or missing transfer
The consoles do not detect each other
- Confirm both systems are connected to the internet.
- Place the consoles physically near each other.
- Install the available system update on the old Switch.
- Exit the transfer screens and reopen the send option on the old console and the receive option on Switch 2.
The expected user or save is not listed
- Check that you selected the profile that actually contains the save.
- Verify that the corresponding user on Switch 2 is linked to the same Nintendo Account.
- Make sure you are using the Ocarina of Time application you intend to transfer, rather than looking for a save under an unrelated game or profile.
You expected a copy to remain on the old Switch
That is not how nearby transfer works. Nintendo defines the feature as sending the file and deleting it from the source system. Stop before confirming the send operation if retaining the old save is essential, and investigate the app’s cloud-compatibility indicator first.
The transfer finished but the game looks new
Close the application and reopen it with the user profile that received the file. A save belongs to the transferred user, so launching the app under another local profile can make the game appear to have no progress. If the correct user still sees no save, confirm that the transfer completion message appeared and that the Ocarina of Time app is the playable title associated with the transferred data.
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A Nintendo Switch Online subscription alone does not prove that this app’s save can be restored. The title must support Save Data Cloud and have a compatible backup. Check the current indicator for the Nintendo 64 application; if it is absent, return to nearby transfer when the original console is available.
What the move does—and does not—transfer
Nearby transfer concerns save data. It does not by itself serve as a general backup strategy, and it does not remove the need for the destination console to have access to the compatible game or application. You still need to start the title on Switch 2 with the receiving user.
System Transfer is broader, but Nintendo qualifies its scope: it can move digital games, certain save data and settings during Switch 2 setup. That qualification is why the setup route should not be treated as a promise that every app save will migrate identically.
Save Data Cloud is different again. It stores an online backup for supported titles under Nintendo Switch Online and lets a member download compatible data on another console. The decisive question for Ocarina of Time is whether the specific Nintendo 64 app save is marked compatible at the time you check.
Final pre-transfer checklist
- Both consoles are available and near each other, if you are using nearby transfer.
- Both consoles have internet access.
- The old Switch has current system software.
- The same Nintendo Account is linked to the source and destination users.
- You know whether Switch 2 is still in initial setup.
- You understand that nearby transfer deletes the selected save from the old Switch.
- You have checked the Ocarina of Time app’s current cloud-compatibility indicator before relying on Save Data Cloud.
- You will verify the save by opening the app on Switch 2 with the receiving user after the transfer reports completion.
For a normal move from an existing Switch to an already configured Switch 2, use System Settings > Data Management > Transfer Your Save Data > Send Save Data to Another Console on the old console, then receive it on Switch 2. No Nintendo Switch Online membership is required for that nearby transfer, but the save will no longer remain on the sending console.
Quick Recap
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