Whether you have two consoles at home or have been considering the purchase of the new Nintendo Switch OLED, you may have wondered if there is a way to transfer saved games from one console to another. In this guide we will explain all the methods that are available so that you can change the console without fear of losing your data.
The Nintendo Switch stores your screenshots, recordings of your best plays, and, of course, your valuable saved games in its memory . To transfer your data from one console to another, you primarily need each console to have its own microSD card . Once you meet this requirement, you can transfer your data in two different ways, depending on whether or not you have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription.
Method 1: Using Nintendo Switch Online
Nintendo Switch Online is a paid subscription service that lets you play online, enjoy retro titles on your handheld console, and much more. One feature that many people are unaware is included in the subscription: a cloud backup service for your game saves.
Once you register and pay for Nintendo Switch Online, your save data will automatically be backed up to the cloud. If you don't want to back up a particular game, you can choose which games can back up data to the server and which cannot. If you prefer to manually back up your data, go to Settings > Data Management > Save Data to Cloud and uncheck the automatic backup option for the games you want to back up.
Transferring your save data to your new console is very easy. If your console is already set up, you'll need to link the Nintendo Account where your save data is stored and you have a Nintendo Switch Online membership. If you haven't yet done so, link your account during the initial console setup process .
Once you've linked your Nintendo Account to the new console, you'll need to download the same games using the eShop. In the store, tap your profile thumbnail and select "Redownload." After that, you can return to the settings page mentioned earlier and restore your save files individually.
Use two consoles and sync data
The great thing about Nintendo Switch Online is that you can keep your save data across multiple consoles and resume your games regardless of the device you're using. This feature is exclusive to subscribers.
To do this, go to Settings , then Data Management , and finally Cloud Saves . You'll need to set your save data to always be overwritten with the most recent data. Additionally, you'll need to set your new console as your primary console (we'll show you how to do this step-by-step at the end of the article). Remember that you can play on either console as long as the secondary console is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the primary one. Otherwise, it won't work.
Method 2: If you don't have Nintendo Switch Online
Without Nintendo Switch Online you can also transfer your games, but it will not be as easy. To do this you will need to have both consoles at hand, an Internet connection and access to your Nintendo account.
Your Nintendo Account must be signed in only on the source console . If you sign in on the destination console, the process will fail. The console itself will ask for your login details when appropriate.
To complete the process, you must follow these steps on both consoles :
- Go to Configuration from the console from the Nintendo Switch main menu.
- Enter Puser profile, located in the left sidebar.
- Choose user transfer.
- Click next. Connect the power adapter to the console and follow the steps.
- From this step, you will have to choose which console will be the source and what will be the data destination.
- You will now be able to sign in to your Nintendo Account on the target console. Your Nintendo ID will now be associated with this system and the data transfer will proceed. The process will take a while, which will mainly depend on the amount of data that needs to be transferred from one console to another.
- Once the process is finished, you will have all your data on your new console.
Unfortunately, you won't be able to keep your data on both consoles . Your Nintendo Switch user account will disappear from the original console. However, you can keep your game progress synchronized across both consoles if you use the Nintendo Switch Online paid service and follow the steps in the first method explained in this article.
Finally, you should know that if you have multiple profiles on the original console, and each profile is associated with a different Nintendo ID, you'll have to repeat the process for each user . It's a somewhat cumbersome process, but so far it's the only option the company offers for transferring data from one console to another without using the paid service.
Extra Step: Make Your New Nintendo Switch Your Primary Console
Once you have finished transferring the data to your new console using either of the two methods we have explained, it is advisable to transfer the main console title to your new Switch.
Each Nintendo Account can only be associated with one primary console . However, a single console can be the primary console for multiple Nintendo Accounts. Primary consoles have privileges over non-primary consoles, such as allowing you to play downloaded games without an internet connection. If you've transferred your data to a new console, the logical step is to set that new console as your primary console. The steps you need to take are as follows:
- Go to the comfort what do you want to place as secondary and enter Nintendo eShop from the Nintendo Switch main menu.
- Select your profile in the upper right corner.
- Scroll down to the section "Main Console". tap where it says "Delete Record".
- go now to your new console and go to eShop. As soon as you log in, your new console will have been established as the main one.