Important note: Information technology is possible to transfer salve data for Animal Crossing: New Horizons between two Switches at will. Coil to the bottom of the page for more than details or bank check out our Animate being Crossing Isle Transfer guide.

Automatic Cloud Save Downloads are also now a matter! Spotter the video above or skip to the relevant department below for more than info.


So, you've gone and got yourself a lovely new Nintendo Switch Calorie-free in addition to your regular 'old' Switch. Maybe one'southward going to exist for the kids, or yous're just tired of sharing. Perhaps y'all couldn't resist the beautiful hardware revision and plan to use Switch Calorie-free every bit your smaller 'out-and-nigh' handheld so put your anxiety upwardly with a Pro Controller and the 'flagship' model when you make it dwelling house to your TV. Sounds extravagant, but reasonable!

Plain, the regular Switch console is designed for exactly that type of - what shall we telephone call information technology? - 'switching' and although possible, it's articulate that Nintendo doesn't actually intend for individuals to have more than one Switch panel. Cloud saves and the automatic Salve Data option introduced in firmware update 11.0.0 make that reality less of a hassle, and digital game sharing is possible, besides, although y'all tin only play using your account on one console at a time. A Nintendo Switch Online subscription makes living the 'Johnny Two-Switches' dream relatively simple, and information technology's also possible to transfer saves manually between two nearby systems (retrieve, saves are stored on the console, not the cart).

In this guide we present how to play your games across two Switch consoles, including the restrictions, caveats and the potential issues to look out for. We'll update this guide as necessary, simply the following represents the easiest way to play a unmarried save file across 2 systems whether you lot own the game digitally or physically.

This guide does non refer to a full-on System Transfer which enables you to motility all your save data and details to a different Switch on a more permanent ground - something yous might do if yous were selling your old console, for example.

Lite Blue

How to play a game on one Switch, and then proceed from the same save file on another

Equally things stand, anyone with a Nintendo Account tin designate ane Switch equally their 'primary' panel (by default the commencement console they connect to the Nintendo Switch eShop with) and another their 'non-primary' console. Playing your games on the non-chief Switch requires you to use your Nintendo Account and have a constantly agile internet connection. The game will interruption if it loses that connexion, and also if the same software is played on the same Nintendo Account on the main console.

All the same with us? If those caveats haven't put you lot off the idea, read on for instructions on how to choice up where yous left off in a game across two Switches...

Lite Yellow

For the purposes of this guide nosotros'll assume you already own a standard model and have just got a new Switch Lite, but this would work simply likewise between 2 standard Switches (or two Lites, although we tin't imagine a use instance where that would exist desirable). It makes sense to make your new Switch Lite your master console (which therefore won't require an internet connexion to play your games), with your docked home-bound Switch becoming your non-primary.

Be subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online

For the most convenient way of syncing game saves beyond two Switches, you'll need to be subscribed to Nintendo'southward online service and have cloud saves enabled. Please note that non all software supports cloud saves, then bank check that the game yous wish to play is compatible - check out our full listing of games non uniform with Nintendo Switch cloud saves. If you don't have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, skip ahead.

Download the game(south) you want to play

Digital games should exist purchased on your chief Nintendo Account. Owning the concrete cartridge ways you'll obviously have to movement it between consoles, but recollect that save data remains on the panel itself, Non THE CARTRIDGE, so you'll still need cloud saves activated to switch between consoles and continue playing where you lot left off (without transferring the information manually, that is).

De-register your original Switch as your primary console

On your standard Switch, hit your profile moving-picture show in the eShop (tiptop right) and scroll to the bottom of the options on the correct. Here y'all'll exist able to conciliate this Switch as your primary console ready for your new Switch Lite to take upwards the pall.

Check that relieve data is backed upwardly to the deject

Highlight your called game(due south) on the Switch Dwelling house carte and hit the '+' button. Select 'Save Data Cloud' and cheque to see that the software is backed up with a tick beside your user business relationship. If you want to be actress sure, tap on the user and you lot'll get boosted details with a timestamp of the data on the server and the same information for 'this panel'. Make certain it's the same.

Burn up your new Switch (Light) and sign into your Nintendo Account

Powering up your new console and signing in to the eShop will make it your master Switch, meaning you lot tin can play all your games on it without being tied to an internet connection. Unfortunately, none of your games are actually on panel yet, and then you'll have to redownload the lot from the eShop on the new chief console. Time for a cup of tea...

Check the deject salve has downloaded and starting time playing

Once the downloads have finished, hit the '+' push button on the game(due south) every bit you lot did on the other console to check the deject relieve information has synced. Assuming everything matches, you're good to go.

From at present on, check the deject salve has uploaded/synced before changing between Switches

To prevent issues, information technology'southward probably a expert idea to double check that your save information has uploaded to the cloud on whichever console you're using before switching to the other, simply to be super safe. Likewise, y'all might want to make doubly sure that the other console has synced earlier resuming the game there, too. Amend to be safe than sorry.

Automatic Save Data Downloads - NEW!

Only expect! As of firmware update 11.0.0, Nintendo introduced a feature that automatically downloads backed up deject Save Data from one of your systems to the other (assuming both are connected to the internet, of class).

To utilise this handy characteristic you'll have to enable it showtime. Do this past heading to System Settings > Data Management > Save Data Cloud and make sure 'Automatically Download Relieve Data' is turned on. Nintendo does state that "Salve information will non be downloaded automatically unless save data for that software exists on the console. The offset fourth dimension just, users must download the relieve data manually".

Nintendo Switch Automatic Download Save Data
Prototype: Nintendo Life

Once information technology's up and running, still, we're very pleased to report that it appears to work very well and the relieve data will automatically download even if the arrangement'due south in sleep mode.

So, to epitomize:

  1. Play your game on Switch A
  2. Save (or achieve an autosave location)
  3. Shut the game on Switch A from the Home Menu (using the 'X' button to ensure the software is completely closed)
  4. After about one minute or so, Switch B will have automatically downloaded the updated Salvage Data, even if it'southward in sleep way
  5. Play game on Switch B with updated Relieve Data
  6. Echo every bit necessary

If yous're playing on your primary Switch and it isn't connected to the internet (call up, information technology'south incommunicable for the same account to be used on your non-primary Switch without an internet connectedness), it's possible to create conflicts where 2 sets of save information are generated.

Switch Save Data conflict
Epitome: Nintendo Life

Fortunately, the system warns you when you effort to open up the game with two sets of relieve data. All the same, exist careful you don't wipe progress by selecting the older data.

And that'southward it! Not quite as unproblematic equally 'switching' with a single console, only entirely possible when you know how. Cheque out the lovely Alex's video at the height of the page for a full demonstration in video form.

How do I transfer salvage data for games that don't support cloud saves?

Cloud Saves

Well, for those games (or all games if y'all're not subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online) you'll take to transfer the salve manually to a 'nearby' Switch. You're not copying salvage data here, you're transferring it to a 'target' system - it'll be erased on the 'source' system. This works just as well every bit the cloud save option for moving save data between the same Nintendo Account on two systems (note: the same account), although it'll demand to exist done every time you change from one organization to the other and it also requires an internet connection.

On the 'source' Switch...

  1. On the Dwelling Card of the Switch you lot're finishing with, select 'System Settings' and then 'Data Direction'. Then tap 'Transfer Your Salve Data'.
  2. And so tap 'Transport Relieve Data to Another Console' and choose appropriate account.
  3. Then select the specific game save information from the listing that you want to transfer and cull 'Send Relieve Information'. Remember, the data volition be erased from the current Switch.
Send
Image: Nintendo Life

On the 'target' Switch...

  1. As you did on the 'source' arrangement, select 'System Settings from the Domicile menu, and then 'Information Management' and finally 'Transfer Your Save Data'.
  2. Cull 'Receive Save Data' this time. You'll get the selection to Overwrite Relieve Information if it already exists for that business relationship, and then make sure it's definitely the correct data! Overwritten data obviously tin't be retrieved.
  3. Once the transfer is finished, hit 'OK' and y'all should be practiced to go with the same game data at present on your other Switch.
Receive
Paradigm: Nintendo Life

So, you've registered 1 console equally your 'main' and another as 'not-primary' as detailed higher up. If y'all want to exist able to play the same games at the same time and effectively 'share' your digital games with somebody else, the person on the not-chief console must use the master account (and exist connected to the cyberspace) and the person on the primary console must play using a unlike account (entirely possible because whatsoever business relationship tin can access and play your digital library on your principal panel).

If the same business relationship is used to play the aforementioned game simultaneously, the game on the non-chief console volition pause (the aforementioned will happen is yous lose your internet connection). Assuming you're happy to juggle accounts and have the requisite Switch Online subscriptions activated, it's entirely possible to play online with each other, although it's impossible to play multiplayer locally using the same software beyond two consoles (for that you would need two copies of the game).

Receive
Image: Nintendo Life

One matter to bear in heed is that the person on the primary Switch must recollect to utilize a different account if you want to avoid cloud save confusion. For example, if you're in Flying Mode on your master Switch and accidentally used the main account — while someone else is playing the same game on that account on the non-chief panel — ii unique sets of save data would be produced and this might cause confusion when the primary console is connected to the cyberspace again. Cloud save clashes are best avoided if you're concerned nigh progress, so bank check with account holder if you go to play a game and a message flashes upwardly showing a save data conflict or error. No-i likes to lose progress!

This three-part example from Nintendo shows what happens on the internet-dependent non-primary Switch if the same account plays the same game on the primary console.
This three-part instance from Nintendo shows what happens on the internet-dependent not-primary Switch if the aforementioned account plays the aforementioned game on the chief panel.

How practice I transfer my Animal Crossing: New Horizons salve data betwixt two Switches?

Subsequently eight long months, it finally became possible to transfer Animal Crossing: New Horizons island save information and even residents between Switches. Nintendo had previously implemented a organisation allowing for one-fourth dimension relieve information recovery (for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers) in instance of hardware failure, loss or theft, but it is incommunicable to transfer your save data between Switches in a casual manner.

Previous to the Winter 2022 update, information technology was impossible to transfer your island to a new Switch, even if you bought a brand new console and performed a complete system transfer — it was rubbish!

Fortunately, yous tin now download an Animal Crossing Island Transfer Tool from the Switch eShop and transplant your island to a different console. Check out our guide for more details.


Convoluted? Yep, it's non as straightforward as 1 might hope, although the addition of automated save data downloads in update 11.0.0 certainly makes things less painless. Let usa know beneath how yous've got on playing between 2 Switches, especially if you've experienced any issues.