Topic: Switch and Switch 2 data transfer

I transferred the digital games and save data from Switch 1 to Switch 2. I noticed the NSO retro games save data transfer between the two Switch systems. Since I transferred the save data to Switch 2, does anyone know if the game save will update to Switch 1 via cloud save? For example, my Pokemon Arceus save data transferred to Switch 2. If I put the cartridge in Switch 1, will the save data update to Switch 1 via cloud save like the NSO retro games app? Although I transferred my data to Switch 2, I still want to use my Switch 1 OLED for portable gaming since the Switch 2 battery life is pretty short.

@Don I've also done the Switch 2 system transfer. Basically for me, it transferred over my digital games, virtual game cards, and save data. On my Switch OLED, my digital games were still intact, and I remember that my Nintendo Account remained intact as well. Sometime after the system transfer, I actually brought over a virtual game card for Tetris Effect: Connected, and downloaded the save data from the cloud, and I was able to continue playing on my Switch OLED. So, by doing those two things for each game (minus downloading the save data, only if you've not played them on Switch 2), you should still be able to play on your Switch OLED as well.

Unfortunately, Pokemon Legends: Arceus doesn't have save data backup, so I think you would have to manually transfer that save data to the Switch OLED, if it lets you. With that game in particular though, I'm not 100% sure if the save data could transfer from Switch 2 back to Switch 1, because I've not tried it. So if anybody can chime in, that'd be great.

Edit: Oh yeah I forgot about the NSO retro games. Those don't have virtual game cards, so all you'd need to do is download the save data from the cloud from those, if you've played those on Switch 2 already.

I want to know whether something like that works myself because even though I'm most likely getting a Switch 2 early next year, there will be some situations where I want to play Pokémon Violet (a game without save data cloud compatibility) at a friend's house without having to lug my bigger Switch 2 around.

@D-Star92
Thank you for the info. It’s good to know the digital games are still available on the original Switch. Until they come out with an upgraded Switch 2 with longer battery life my original Switch will be the preferred console for playing in public settings.

As long as your save data is on your NSO cloud for any game, you can just hop in there and download your most recent save data if the system you’re currently using doesn’t have it.

@rallydefault, do you know about what happens with games that don't have NSO cloud compatibility like Pokémon Violet? 🤔

@ShieldHero
Yea, for the games that don't support NSO cloud (which tend to be the Pokemon games for whatever bizarre reason - probably something to do with the Poke Bank or whatever? I don't know, I don't really play Pokemon), you would need to physically get the save data to your other system somehow - a system transfer is probably the way to go? Not great if you plan on doing it often, obviously.

I would say to just put the save data on your Micro SD, but if you're talking between a regular Switch and a Switch 2, now we're talking two different kinds of SD cards...

@Don @ShieldHero In the settings/data management/transfer save files/ section you can tell your device to send the save file for just one game to a nearby switch or Switch 2. Obnoxiously you have to do that every time you want to go back and forth with Pokemon unlike other Switch games. if the game is virtual you will also separately have to swap your virtual game card as per usual. It's a little annoying but not too hard. It normally works fine although some people suggest you use the Pokemon home app for your favorite Pokemon as well just in case there is a power outage while transferring or something.

Edit: If you click on a game there is a manage software/transfer save data option as well if you don't want to go through the other menus.

@rallydefault You can't put pokemon save files on an sd card. They do that to try to stop cheating. Considering they block modded Switch 2s, it's probably dangerous to even try to get around that restriction.

For NSO, going back and forth is pretty seamless.

@rallydefault
I'm fairly sure that Pokemon doesn't allow it because it would be an easy way to clone Pokemon and items. For example catch a legendary on one save, sync the save to the cloud, sync the save to two of your consoles. Then go offline on both and trade the Pokemon to another game twice. The same would be true for a game like Animal Crossing

I get why it annoys some but it never bothered me too much. Mostly because they're also the sort of games where there's some value in having multiple saves going anyways. Allows you to go down different paths and trade back to yourself

@FishyS, thanks for the information! That does sound kind of annoying, but thankfully that won't have to happen often since I only visit that friend's house like twice a year since they live over three hours away.

@skywake Nintendo could also just carefully sync cloud saves and trades to prevent shenanigans like tons of other multiplayer multiplatform games do. Nintendo might have to treat Pokemon differently than some games, but considering it's their own cloud save system and their own IP, I feel like they could easily figure out how to block that type of cheating without having to avoid their own cloud save.

The main issue with no cloud save is of course losing all save file data if your device breaks, although lack of cloud save is also annoying if you share 2 devices (for example I had to swap Pokemon data a lot between a OG Switch and a Lite) although that is a nuisance more than a serious problem.

Considering the truly enormous amount of hacked Pokemon traded around in S/V, it's not like their anti cheat is even working that well so they have kind of been in the worst of both worlds.

@FishyS
I don't disagree but still, there's a reason it is how it is

Why do they block the ability to sync Animal Crossing saves normally, across consoles? If that's also to stop cheating it makes no sense, and it also isn't working, since people duplicate items all the time. And the "island backup service" does not work across consoles anyway, at least it's never worked for me.

@skywake
Makes sense. I don't really play Pokemon, so I don't know what that whole ecosystem is like lol

@FishyS
Interesting. I've always treated the system transfer utility as a monolith that I only use unless I get a new Switch model - pretty much every game I play just uses the NSO cloud.

During my transfer to Switch 2, the tool actually mentioned that 12 of my games didn't have normal cloud save and that it was transferring anyways. A few of those games were ones which have a different type of cloud save (Animal Crossing, a couple F2P games), but the ones which had no cloud save at all were mostly Pokemon. Weirdly, New Super Lucky's Tale and some of the Dragon Quest games also don't have cloud save. 12 out if 100s of games isn't bad, it's just weird that most of the exceptions to Nintendo's cloud service is Nintendo itself and one of their biggest third party partners.

The island backup thing does work across Switches or Switch 2s. It's more of a nuisance than normal cloud save but it still is cloud saved so you lose nothing if your Switch dies and you get a new one.

I think the reason AC cloud save is different is not because of cheating but some technical reason relating to the fact that multiple accounts can live on the same island but in different ways; that unusual feature probably broke their default cloud save setup.

@FishyS
Yea, the only ones I had were Sword and Shield and Lucky’s Tale.

Shockingly, I don’t own Animal Crossing on Switch. Not really my kind of game.