Topic: Help (please) transfer data to Switch 2

Hi there! Hoping someone can help me out. My switch 1 console no longer charges and is at 0 battery power. It can't be fixed. Is there anyway to transfer my account to Switch 2 without a functional Switch 1? I know there is an option to download from the the cloud, but it seems you need to upload data to the cloud using your switch 1? I'm at a loss, if someone could help I'd appreciate it!!!!

@Cabal4244, man, that situation is rough. Even if you don't do a system transfer, you can still connect your Nintendo Account to the Switch 2 and all of your eShop purchases can be re-downloaded on your new console, you can also insert any physical Switch cartridges you already own, update them if necessary, and play them on the Switch 2. If you have a Nintendo Switch Online membership, you can transfer save data for most games to the new console even if you don't have your old one, via save data cloud. A few games like mainline Pokémon, Splatoon 2, and Animal Crossing New Horizons don't have save data cloud for some reason, and if your old console is not working, I'm pretty sure that the save data for those games is just gone. Not the best situation, to be honest. If necessary, perhaps try calling Nintendo of America Customer Support and see what they can do? I hope this information helps, and I hope the best for you.

@ShieldHero Thanks for the reply much appreciated. My biggest concern is I may or may not have spent a ton of money on Asphalt United, like alot, so I can't imagine starting over. Ill see if Nintendo can help me out at all . thanks again.

@Cabal4244 Ouch, that's a real shame... but I think you should be able to link your Nintendo Account to your Switch 2 without the transferring process. You should be able to download any games you've gotten from the eShop, as well as backed up save data if you have NSO. I was gonna ask if your Switch 1 console works while it's plugged in, but I would imagine it would be very risky to subject it to a system transfer. That would be bad news if your Switch 1 console gets unplugged by accident, or if a power outage happens, during the transfer.

The only thing I'm unsure about is the virtual game cards. I'm saying this because when I did the system transfer from Switch to Switch 2, it brought over all my virtual game cards to my new console, and I wouldn't be able to play them on my Switch OLED unless I send them back from my Switch 2 to Switch OLED. (My downloaded games remained intact on my Switch OLED, but not the virtual game cards.) So if you're unable to play your digital games, maybe try managing the virtual game cards on Nintendo's website, or contact Nintendo about it. They should be able to help you out.

Ah yeah, adding to what @ShieldHero suggested, if you have Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the game actually has its own way of backing up save data, just not in the traditional sense. So if you have your island backed up, the folks at Nintendo should help you out from there.

To be on the safe side, I'd recommend chatting with Nintendo about your situation before making any moves. Hope this gets you on the right track, and best of luck to you.