What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Yes. Save data from the Nintendo Switch versions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom can be moved to their corresponding Nintendo Switch 2 Editions. The right method depends on whether you still have the original console, whether a cloud backup exists, and whether you are moving one game or the entire system.
Use Nearby-console Save Data Transfer when both consoles are available, Nintendo Switch Online Save Data Cloud when the old console is unavailable but a backup exists, or a full System Transfer when you want to migrate the broader contents of the old Switch. Keep one warning in mind before you begin: the second save file created in a Switch 2 Edition cannot be transferred back to the original Switch version.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Nintendo Switch 2 System | $499.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Nintendo Switch 2 System with Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 Bundle | $568.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle with Bonus HDMI Cable & Screen Cleaning Cloth | $617.98 | Buy on Amazon |
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Which Zelda saves can move to Switch 2?
Nintendo supports carrying a Switch save into the matching Switch 2 Edition:
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PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo Switch) to Breath of the Wild Nintendo Switch 2 Edition.
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo Switch) to Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo Switch 2 Edition.
This is a same-game migration. A Breath of the Wild save cannot become a Tears of the Kingdom save, and moving a game card, buying a physical copy, or using an amiibo does not perform the transfer. The save-data operation is handled by the consoles and your Nintendo Account.
#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
You can transfer an existing adventure and then continue it in the Switch 2 Edition. Both Zelda Switch 2 Edition product pages also describe two save files, which makes it possible to keep a transferred adventure and start another one. That extra slot has an important one-way limitation explained below.
Choose the method that fits your situation
| Method | Old console needed? | Nintendo Switch Online needed? | What moves | What happens to the source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nearby-console Save Data Transfer | Yes, both consoles must be available and online | No | The selected Zelda save | Treat it as a move; verify the destination before resetting or selling the old Switch |
| Save Data Cloud restoration | No, but the save must have been backed up previously | Yes, an active membership is required | The Zelda save stored in your cloud backup | The old console is not needed for restoration |
| System Transfer | Yes, the original and Switch 2 are used together | Not required solely for the transfer | Broader system content, including compatible games, saves, and settings | Nintendo warns that transferred information is deleted from the original console |
If you only need one Zelda adventure and have both systems, Nearby-console Save Data Transfer is the most direct choice. If the original Switch is gone or unusable, cloud restoration is the only option described here, and it works only when that particular save was already backed up. Choose System Transfer when the goal is to move the console as a whole rather than just Zelda.
Prepare both consoles for a nearby transfer
Do these checks before opening the transfer tool:
- Update both the original Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, then connect each system to the internet.
- Confirm that a user linked to the same Nintendo Account exists on both consoles. Nintendo allows save data to move only between users linked to the same Nintendo Account.
- Make sure you are transferring the matching Zelda title. A Breath of the Wild save belongs with its own Switch 2 Edition, as does a Tears of the Kingdom save.
- Decide whether the original console must retain its data. Nearby transfer is a move of save data, not a promise that two independent working copies will remain.
- Do not erase, initialize, or sell the original console until the destination copy has opened successfully.
Nintendo Switch Online membership is not required for Nearby-console Save Data Transfer. Internet access and the matching Nintendo Account are still required.
How to use Nearby-console Save Data Transfer
- Place the consoles near each other and connect both to the internet. Keep them powered on during the operation. If either system is still downloading an update, finish that first.
- Open the save-data transfer function in System Settings on the original Switch. Choose the option to send save data. The wording may identify the console as the source or sending system.
- Open the corresponding save-data transfer function on Nintendo Switch 2. Choose the option to receive save data. The two systems should detect one another when the connection and account requirements are satisfied.
- Select the user linked to the same Nintendo Account on both systems. If the users are linked to different accounts, the Zelda save will not be eligible for this transfer.
- Select the Zelda title and send the save. Choose Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom, depending on which save you are moving, then follow the on-screen confirmation prompts.
- Wait for the transfer to finish on both consoles. Do not power off either system or interrupt the network connection while the save is being moved.
- Launch the matching Switch 2 Edition on the destination console. Select the transferred adventure and check that your progress, inventory, and location appear as expected.
- Only after verification, decide what to do with the old Switch. If you plan to reset, trade in, or sell it, remember that the source save was moved. Keep the original system intact until you are satisfied that the destination works.
The transfer tool is preferable to starting the Switch 2 Edition first and hoping that it discovers the old save automatically. Use the system’s transfer workflow so the correct user and title are selected explicitly.
Restore a Zelda save from Nintendo Switch Online cloud storage
Cloud restoration is for the case in which the old Switch is unavailable, damaged, or already gone. It is conditional: the Zelda save must have been backed up before the old console became unavailable, and the Nintendo Switch Online membership associated with the account must still be active. Nintendo confirms that both Zelda Switch 2 Editions support cloud saves.
What must already be true
- The old Switch previously uploaded the relevant Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom save to Save Data Cloud.
- You can sign in on Switch 2 with the same Nintendo Account used for that backup.
- The Nintendo Switch Online membership remains active for the account that owns the backup.
- You are restoring to the corresponding Switch 2 Edition, not a different Zelda title.
Restoration steps
- Sign in to Nintendo Switch 2 with the Nintendo Account that held the backup. Use the account-linked user associated with the original Zelda save.
- Open the console’s save-data cloud controls. Select the Zelda title and inspect the available cloud save. The date or status shown there helps you identify whether the backup is the one you want.
- Choose the command to download or restore the cloud save to Switch 2. Follow the confirmation prompts and allow the download to complete.
- Open the matching Switch 2 Edition and verify the restored progress. If the cloud copy is older than your last play session, the missing progress was not present in the backup that Nintendo can restore.
If no Zelda backup is listed, cloud restoration cannot recreate a save that was never uploaded. An active membership by itself does not generate a historical save; it only lets you use an existing cloud copy under Nintendo’s cloud-save rules.
When a full System Transfer is the better choice
Nintendo’s Switch 2 transfer guide supports moving digital games, compatible save data, and settings from Nintendo Switch to Nintendo Switch 2. This is broader than selecting one Zelda save. It makes sense when you are replacing the old console and want to migrate much of its setup in one operation.
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.***
Use System Transfer when you want to move
- Multiple compatible games rather than only Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom.
- Compatible save data across the system.
- Settings and other supported console information covered by Nintendo’s transfer process.
Understand the destructive part first
Nintendo warns that a full System Transfer deletes transferred information from the original console. This is not the right choice if you need the old Switch to remain a usable second system with its own copy of the data. Before starting, make sure you have charged both consoles, connected them as instructed by Nintendo, and decided that the original system can lose the information being transferred.
After the transfer, open the Zelda Switch 2 Edition and verify the save before wiping anything else or handing over the original hardware. If you only need Zelda, the narrower Nearby-console transfer avoids moving unrelated games and settings.
The second save slot is not a round trip
The Switch 2 Editions advertise two save files so you can continue an existing adventure and also begin a separate one. Nintendo explicitly warns that the second save file created in a Switch 2 Edition cannot be transferred back to the original Nintendo Switch version of that game. The warning applies to both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
That creates a practical rule:
- Use the transferred save as your continuing, cross-version adventure if you might return to the original Switch version.
- Use the second slot for a new adventure only when you accept that its progress is confined to the Switch 2 Edition.
- Do not assume that a save made in the second slot can later be sent back to the old Switch by reversing the same transfer process.
The limitation does not mean your original adventure is unusable on Switch 2. It means the newly created second-slot adventure is not designed for a return trip to the original version.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsWhat happens to your original save?
Nearby-console transfer
Plan as though the selected save leaves the source console. Nintendo’s transfer workflow is designed to move save data. Launch the game on Switch 2 and verify the result before resetting, trading in, or selling the original Switch.
Cloud restoration
The source console does not need to be present, but the restored file is limited to the version and date stored in the cloud. Any play made after the last successful upload is not available in that backup.
System Transfer
The operation covers more than Zelda and Nintendo warns that transferred information is deleted from the original console. Treat it as a replacement-console migration, not a way to maintain two complete systems.
Rank #3
- 【Ultimate Nintendo Switch 2 Bundle – Ready to Play】Includes the complete Nintendo Switch 2 console and a full-game download of Mario Kart World, so you can start racing right out of the box. Perfect for gamers of all ages and playstyles.
- 【Next-Gen Hybrid Gaming with Stunning Visuals】Experience a vivid 7.9‑inch 1080p LCD touchscreen with HDR support, and enjoy 4K TV output at up to 60 fps when docked — for immersive gameplay at home or on the go.
- 【Versatile 3 Play Modes】Seamlessly switch between Handheld, Tabletop, and TV modes — all featuring intuitive controls and smooth performance, wherever you choose to play.
- 【Enhanced Social Gaming with GameChat & Multiplayer】Connect with friends locally, enjoy online multiplayer with up to 24 players, and use voice chat via GameChat (internet connection and Nintendo Switch Online membership required after trial period).
- 【Powerful Storage & Joy‑Con 2 Controllers】Includes 256 GB internal storage (expandable with microSD), magnetic Joy‑Con 2 controllers, docking station, HDMI cable, AC adapter, grip, and straps — everything you need for the ultimate gaming setup.
Troubleshooting failed or missing transfers
The consoles do not see each other
- Confirm that both systems are connected to the internet and have completed pending system updates.
- Open the transfer function on both consoles, with one set to send and the other set to receive.
- Check that the selected users on both systems are linked to the same Nintendo Account.
- Restart the setup if the wrong console was placed in sender or receiver mode.
The Zelda title is not listed
- Check that you are using the matching game: Breath of the Wild saves transfer to Breath of the Wild Switch 2 Edition, and Tears of the Kingdom saves transfer to its own Edition.
- Switch to the user profile that actually owns the save.
- Do not expect a game card, physical copy, or amiibo to make the save appear; those items do not replace the console transfer process.
The cloud save is missing
- Verify that the Nintendo Account is the one used on the original Switch.
- Confirm that the Nintendo Switch Online membership is active.
- Check whether the old console ever uploaded that Zelda save. Cloud restoration cannot recover a file that was never backed up.
- Compare the cloud backup date with your last play session; the backup may legitimately be older.
The destination opens a new game instead of your adventure
- Close the game and repeat the appropriate save transfer or cloud-restoration process.
- Check the selected user and title; choosing a different profile can present an empty save.
- If you already began a new second-slot adventure, do not overwrite the transferred save while troubleshooting. The second slot has the one-way limitation described above.
You want to transfer the save back to the old Switch
A save created in the second slot of a Switch 2 Edition cannot be transferred back to the original Switch version. If returning to the original system matters, keep using the transferred original adventure rather than treating the second slot as a synchronised copy.
Questions to settle before you start
Can one Zelda save be used on both consoles at the same time?
Do not plan on a permanent, automatically synchronised duplicate from a nearby transfer. The operation moves the selected save, so verify the destination and decide whether the source console should be retired.
Does buying the physical Switch 2 Edition transfer progress?
No. The physical edition is the game software; save migration is performed through Nintendo’s console transfer or cloud-save features.
Are Zelda amiibo required?
No. Amiibo support is separate from save-data migration and is not required to move either Zelda save.
Can I transfer both Zelda games?
Yes, handle each title’s save as its own transfer. Select Breath of the Wild for its corresponding Edition and Tears of the Kingdom for its corresponding Edition.
Recommended Free Tools
What if I no longer have the old Switch and never used cloud backup?
There is no source console for Nearby-console Transfer and no cloud copy to restore. The procedures covered here cannot recreate an unbacked-up save.
The Bottom Line
For one Zelda game with both consoles in hand, use Nearby-console Save Data Transfer with the same Nintendo Account on systems that are online; Nintendo Switch Online is not required. If the old Switch is unavailable, restore an existing cloud backup with an active membership. Use System Transfer only when you intend to migrate the wider console and accept that transferred information is removed from the original. Keep the original adventure in mind before using the Switch 2 Edition’s second slot, because that new save cannot return to the original Switch version.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
