Topic: Are games interchangeable between consoles

Hi,
It's years since I've bought a Nintendo console and I'm finding catching up with vastly changed gaming technology a bit mind boggling, so I'm hoping someone can help me by explaining in simple terms.

I'd love to buy a Nintendo Switch console but I can't get one for love nor money here in the UK.
What I would like to know is, if I bought a Nintendo lite and started a game on that could I then carry on where I left off in that game on a Nintendo Switch console (should I be lucky enough to get one)?

Many thanks.

I cant say I've tried this myself but from what I understand about the save cloud data yes you could do this providing you have a Nintendo Switch Online account. If you go on the Nintendo UK site and look at the details on NSO it may have more info.

@QueenD999 The Switch Lite and the standard Switch are the same console. The biggest difference is the Switch Lite is handheld only and the standard Switch you can play on your TV.

Any game you buy digitally is linked to you account. Just like when you buy a new phone and you’re able to transfer all your purchased apps and software onto your new phone by logging into your account.

Save data transfers between consoles will require you to have a Nintendo Switch Online account. Your online account will store any save data on Nintendo’s cloud service. You can then transfer your save data to any Switch console with your account. It is a paid service, but isn’t very expensive and you’ll get some NES and SNES games to play along with a subscription.

Now there is a catch. If you want to play Nintendo’s latest smash hit Animal Crossing: New Horizons and later transfer that save data, then it isn’t possible quite yet. There are also several other Switch games that do not allow save data transfers. Nintendo says they will allow save data transfers for Animal Crossing later, but I don’t think it’s implemented yet.

Hope that explanation was helpful and not too confusing.

@QueenD999 In virtually any game other than Animal Crossing, you can either:
a) Transfer save data from one system to another (primarily useful for games that lack cloud support)
b) For the 99% of games that seem to support cloud save transfer, you can upload your data to the cloud on your Lite, and then download it on your big Switch. You can do this as often as you want and switch between the two systems as well, if you like. This option requires an NSO subscription, however.

Thanks very much for your replies which were very helpful.
The games I'm interested in are Super Mario Odyssey, Spyro, Yooka Laylee and Super Mario Party. Have you had experience with these games being interchangeable?

Would like to get Mario Cart Deluxe too. If playing on Nintendo Lite, Is this game controllable via the control stick or by moving the handheld console?

Thanks.

@QueenD999 You can transfer save data from all those. But Super Mario Party wouldn’t be worth getting on a Switch Lite. It requires motion controls from the joycons (which aren’t included with a Switch Lite) and screen is too small to enjoy multiplayer games (since you’d need to share the screen with others).

The rest are great single player handheld games though.

Mario Kart can be controlled with the regular thumb sticks.

NotTelevision,
Thanks so much for your help