System transfers have been a thing for a goodly amount of time now for Nintendo consoles. Gone are the days when all your lovely gubbins was held on a game cartridge or (gasp) memory card. Now when you get a new version of a console, be it for new features, a different form factor, or just some charming Pikachu and Eevee designs on the back, you've got to ferry all that data over from your old system to your new one. As luck would have it, it's right chuffing easy on Switch, and to prove that fact we're going to tell you how in the article you lucky, lucky beggars.
Getting Started
The first thing you'll want to do is make sure both your new and old console are fully set up. You can perform a system transfer when setting up a new console, but it's a bit more straightforward to do it after you've put in your WiFi information and all that good stuff. As long as you can see the Home Screen and you've got an active internet connection, you're ready to get things raring.
Unlike the 3DS the Switch does not require any tools to complete the transfer, it's all handled in software and is a much more straightforward process, so let's dive right into things.
The Actual System Transfer Bit
- Connect an official Nintendo Switch AC Adapter into each of the two systems.
- Select System Settings from the Home Menu on both consoles, indicated by a gear on the lower row of circular icons.
- Scroll down on both consoles and select User from the menu on the left hand side of the screen.
- Select Transfer Your User and Save Data on both consoles from the right hand side of the screen.
- Read the information on screen and select Next on both systems.
- Once again, read the information on this screen as well and select Next on both systems.
- If you have Parental Controls activated on either system, enter the PIN required. If you do not know the PIN, consult the individual who set up Parental Controls.
- If you are prompted to insert a power supply into one or both of your consoles, ensure the AC adapters are properly plugged in.
- You will now see a screen asking you to select which unit will be the Source Console and which will be the Target Console.
- On your old system with the User Profile(s) you wish to transfer, select Source Console.
- On your new system, select Target Console.
- Your old system will ask you which User Profile you wish to transfer. Select the icon of the User Profile you wish to send to your new system.
- Your new system will ask you to sign into the Nintendo Account that is associated with the User Profile you wish to transfer. Select Sign In and then choose the method you used to initially create your account, which is usually Sign in using an email address or Sign-In ID. enter the email address and password that you chose when you set up the User Profile you selected on your old console, then select Sign In.
- Provided you signed in successfully, you will now see the icon of the User Profile you wish to transfer on both consoles, along with some text that will differentiations between them.
- Select Continue on your old console.
- Select Next on your new console.
- Both consoles will now attempt to discover one another, which shouldn't take longer than 10 seconds. Make sure the consoles are close together to ensure a rapid discovery.
- Once both systems have discovered each other, select Transfer on your old console.
- The systems will now begin exchanging data, which may take up to or over 30 minutes depending on the amount of save data you have. Make sure both consoles are plugged into an official power supply for the duration of this transfer.
- Once the transfer is complete, your old system will tell you that your User Profile has been successfully transferred. Your new system may take a few moments longer to also declare that the process is complete
- Once both systems have finished the transfer and display a blue tick icon, select End on both consoles.
The system transfer is complete. Your profile, all your save data, and eShop purchases have been transferred to your new console. Woohoo!
Where Are All My Games?
Whilst your save data has been sent over, your games haven't, because Switch games are mighty massive and if you've ever done a system transfer for the 3DS or Wii U you can understand why Nintendo thought "nuts to that" with the Switch. Instead you're going to have to re-download them from the eShop, but thankfully it's not as painful a process as you might think.
Getting Those Games Back
- From the Home Menu on your new console, select Nintendo eShop, indicated by an orange shopping bag on the lower row of circular icons.
- If prompted to select a User Account, select the User Account that made the purchases you wish to re-download.
- If prompted to sign in with your email and password for your User Profile, enter your email and password associated with your User Profile and select Sign In.
- When the eShop has loaded, select the small version of your User Icon in the top right hand corner of the screen.
- Scroll down and select Redownload from the menu on the left side of the screen.
- From here on the right side of the screen you will be presented with a list of the games you have purchased on this account.
- Select the orange cloud icon to the right of each previously purchased game you wish to download onto your new console. You will not be charged again for any downloads from this menu.
- Once you have selected the orange cloud icon next to all the games you wish to redownload, press the Home Button to return to the Home Menu.
- Your games are now downloading onto your new system, which may take several hours, but will continue even when the Switch is in Sleep Mode (providing you have the appropriate option enabled in the System Settings menu).
That's it! Once they're finished you can dive right back in as though you never left, thanks to all your save data being transferred over earlier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I just move my Micro SD Card with all my games on it to my new console rather than downloading them all again?
Sadly not, due to the particular jiggery pokery Nintendo has opted for, this just doesn't work.
Can I perform a System Transfer for more than one User Profile?
Absolutely! Simply repeat the steps listed above for every user you wish to transfer.
Do I need a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to do all this?
Mercifully, no. You do not need any kind of subscription to transfer any of this info, even your precious Breath of the Wild save data.
What about all the screenshots and videos that I've captured?
As long as you take the Micro SD Card out of your old console and slip it into your new one, you should be able to keep all your old screenshots and videos. Just follow the onscreen prompts and you'll be golden.
Can I not just transfer my profile by rubbing both consoles together and chanting?
If you try it, please send us a video.
Comments (20)
"Can I not just transfer my profile by rubbing both consoles together and chanting?
If you try it, please send us a video."
Dang it! I would do it, but I only have one switch.... maybe when my friend comes over...
I can't believe Nintendo is still doing this nonsense...
The save games are handled by the cloud, the accounts are not tied to a piece of hardware anymore - so what's holding them from making this procedure as easy as it is on other consoles??
Before selling the console: erase everything; after buying a new one: login to account.
THAT SHOULD BE IT.
Most people don't hold onto their old console after buying a new one. And why should they? (They usually pay for the new one mostly with the money from the old one..)
While it's nice this process exists, it doesn't help most people who actually have to get a new Switch (because their old one was defective or got stolen).
Barely anyone is going to buy a new Switch if they still have their old one.
Only people who can't access their old system will buy a new one.
They should've considered this and offered a solution where you only have to log in to your profile on the new Switch and download everything from there.
Where are the pikmin?
It's a lot better compared to the 3ds, but it still baffles me I can just login into a PS Vita, PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 not mention Steam and have by doing that directly acces to all my games (and saves if PS Plus on PlayStation) on multiple systems but not with the switch.
I hurts me as a Nintendo fan they don't look at how the others handle such a simple thing, being different doesn't mean being better, this is just being stubborn even while it's miles better compared to the 3ds method.
(I know you can have your games on multiple Switch systems, but the method works bad in my opinion because by not having almost constant internet access on the second switch then digital stuff won't work.)
@alexolney? Will this transfer the save data of Splatoon. (or other games that don't support cloud saves)?
not powered by pikmin = there will never be a pikmin game on switch confirmed
@Balta666 Yep, all of it. It's not restricted by the same limitations of NSO.
This is total rubbish. How are you going to do this if you have to send the Switch in or don't have the second Switch to transfer yet? This Guide is just a total cluster F*&&^&. Just make a PC based connection software so the USER can determine when and where to backup and restore the Switch. What this Guilde FAILS utterly is how do you backup a Switch if you don't have the Second one and if your selling the first one. This is talking as though you got the second but most can't just toss 299.99+tax before transferring everything over.
No method will ever be foolproof. There will always be the argument that your account can get hacked into, or properly accessed by someone who has your login details. Under this scenario, anyone could download your games, game saves, and disable your copies of those items, even from another Switch.
It reminds me of installing Windows 7. As long as I have the installation media, and the matching product key, I can continue installing legitimate Windows 7 on different machines. With a non-commercial license, only 1 machine can be that license, and that is the machine that most recently connected to the Microsoft servers. However, I'm talking about personal use, and most of the time, the other installation was an older pc, or one that broke. Therefore, there were never any fights/conflicts over which machine was the legitimate licensed install, since I never used the other machine again.
Back to Switch, as I said, no method will be considered foolproof.
Edit: I'm all for an account system, allowing you to redownload all digital purchases (games, & dlc), as well as game saves. That's easy enough, as your purchases are just a list tied to an account name/number. Most game saves can be small enough in size, that it really doesn't take up too much space on a server. This option allows people to access their data that I listed above, if their console was damaged, or stolen.
I'm also for being able to transfer game saves, & media (photos/videos/music/etc.) via SD card, as well. This allows convenience for the user, and it doesn't require server space, which itself would require a subscription service.
Implementing both methods I mentioned would probably be best.
RIP anyone who wants to trade their Switch after owning Splatoon 2 and Pokemon Let's GO.
@AlexOlney Good.
Um, I made a thread about this earlier, but @AlexOnley, do you know if there is a way to transfer game ownership to other users on the same console? (I share a Switch with my family)
Can someone explain to me why you’d buy another Switch if the one you’ve got is functioning?
@BigMac1204 Nope, not at the moment anyway.
@HollowGrapeJ Splatoon 2 and Pokémon Let's Go data can be transferred using this method.
@alexolney I have read this article and watched the video, and since I can't put in the microSD Card, because it'll wipe all save data, is it possible to just do the normal system transfer with the same sized SD Card in the new system, and redownload everything including the save data/games from the SD Card via eShop as well as screenshots/videos?
Has anyone done this migration from Switch to Switch rev. 1? What happens if the other two accounts don't have a email or login associate to them? What happens to them when you try to transfer?
I started playing Animal Crossing on my roommates switch not realizing I couldn’t transfer the data once I got my own switch. But now I do I have my own switch, can I transfer all my roommates data/games to the new console and keep only AC on the old console?
Do downloaded game updates transfer? Or if not, what about game icons? Every time I insert a cart into the Switch it creates a game icon. Will I have to insert each one manually into the new Switch to get the game updates again?
This is one of those situations where being able to just move the SD card would have been nice. It's not like game updates represent a piracy issue so I don't understand why they don't allow them to be copied like that.
What is removed from the old console? I get that the saves and the profiles would probably be removed, but what else? Would the old console have to have all of it's game updates downloaded again?
why does it take longer than 10 minutes to transfer my old switch to a new switch and the transfer button grayed out please help
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