Topic: I finally have a Switch 2, but I am confused (can anybody help me?)

Hello lovely people!

I finally got a Switch 2, but now I see I need to do a system transfer. And here's the point: I want to keep all my stuff on my old Switch and only move something manually (one at a time) to my the Switch 2 when needed. But now it seems I have to move everything at once! I don't want to fill up my entire memory, nor do I want to wait hours and hours before everything is finished (slow, unstable internet). I thought you only needed to link your account, so that you can arrange stuff as wanted afterwards. But that doesn't seem the case. Anyone a idea?

I would just transfer the few games you want on the web (key card tab for digital) - The Switch will prompt you to download and save files for games you played on Switch 1. (assuming you have NSO)

As of an update earlier this month, you can choose to not have your Switch 2 redownload software when you do a transfer, so you could do that and then redownload your games as and when you want. It's also worth noting that your games and save data will stay on your old Switch as well, except for save data of games that don't support cloud backup like Pokemon or Animal Crossing.

@CinnamonRobin

I didn't know that a update fixed the problem of having to download everything again all at once. And I did understand that after the transfer the original Switch gets factory reset. For now I just ignored the transfer and installed the rest of the device. But maybe I need to do a factory reset on the Switch 2 soon and choose the transfer.

Update: It seems you can do everything after the setup, even if you ignore the transfer. The only thing that confuses me is how I get to link my second account (a American account) to the Switch 2, since I forgot the password AND the ID that I used. My American account only contains Mega man ZX free dlc from the American eshop (I now also have that from the European eshop on my European account). And I have the early purchase Ace attorney chronicles free dlc, also from the American eshop (I can't get that from the European eshop, probably because it was early purchasers). I think I'll keep my American account on my normal Switch only, to much of a hastle to change.

The way I did it was to just not do the transfer lol

I just booted up my Switch 2, logged into my same account, and it loaded all my playtime, my digital cards or whatever those are called now, etc.

I mostly play physical so it really didn’t matter much, but the few digital things I have showed up in that virtual card menu once I logged into my account, so I think I can just download them whenever I want.

Edit: sorry, forgot about the save data. I have the NSO cloud so I just manually download save data if I want it for abt particular game.

Yes, if you've got NSO, I'd think it's just easier not to do the system transfer. You can pair the consoles to get VGCs and use cloud saves to transfer your progress.

Don't forget that Animal Crossing has the Island Transfer tool too.

micro
sd
express

for the memory thing

I went from Switch v1 to Switch v1.1 to Switch 2 and have yet to do a system transfer. Other than perhaps doing a better job of retaining and displaying accurate activity log data, if you're not getting rid of your old model then I'm not sure that system transfer is necessary.