My daughters have a Switch each and play Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Until recently they were able to visit each other's island on local play, but now it doesn't work... So, we have:
A Nintendo Switch with the game cartridge. My daughter uses her profile to play the game, though the Switch is registered etc. on my Nintendo account. It is not backed up to Nintendo's online service.
We then have a Nintendo Switch Lite with the game downloaded. I bought this on my account and she plays as 'me', because it won't let her use the game with her profile.
Recently we had a problem with this console. I managed to back up her game using Nintendo's online service. I've been able to restore her progress and it is being backed up as and when needed.
Since the second console was replaced, they can't visit each other. When we try to do so, their islands are found, but then an error comes up saying downloadable content and software can't be played on two consoles at the same time... I don't understand it, given console one uses a cartridge game on her own profile?! And I don't understand what's changed, other than we're now backing up console 2 on my Nintendo profile.
Help please! I've read a lot about primary consoles, but I don't know what can be done here?!
Would it help if we were to create a new user profile for use on either console? But what would happen to any saved data (on the console for Switch 1 and on Nintendo Online for Switch 2)?
If I understand your situation, it worked before because you had the proper setup. Each console had it's own switch user profile, nintendo account, and its own copy of the game. Nintendo's antipriacy system & game save structure does not allow you share one nintendo account & legal copy of a game across two consoles at the same time.
In order to play two player with two consoles via local wireless, each console must have it's own separate nintendo account and legal copy of the game. You need: 2 consoles, 2 nintendo accounts, 2 copies of a game.
@WoomyNNYes Thank you for that. It seems nuts that I've bought 2 copies of the game and can't do this, but even more nuts given it worked before the issue with the second one (it stopped charging!)
So now I'm in this predicament, what happens if I set them up correctly in terms of the game data? I can't change the second one's Nintendo account as the game was bought/downloaded on that.
The first one is presumably a local save, but would I lose that saved game data if I changed the console's Nintendo account?
@Gdonkadonk So, you have two copies of the game: 1) the cartridge, 2)digital ownership (tied to the nintendo account that bought the game from eshop).
Guess #1: You've missed a step somewhere. Or, the switch user on your replaced switch hasn't been linked to the nintendo account you were using on the previous console.
Guess #2: You're using the cartridge on the switch (nintendo account) that already owns the game from an eshop purchase. You need to use the cartridge on the switch for the switch user profile/nintendo account that doesn't have digital ownership of the game.
Your quickest path to a solution is to call nintendo support. They can see your accounts, which is an advantage I don't have. You need the quick back and forth of a phone call to figure out where you're stuck. This is not a good medium here. If I was an inside rep and you called me, and I could see your nintendo accounts, I could probably get you sorted in 5-15 minutes. In here, it takes hours, and I can't see your accounts.
Forums
Topic: Help please playing Animal Crossing using 2 Switches
Posts 1 to 6 of 6
Please login or sign up to reply to this topic