{"id":2713,"date":"2018-05-08T15:51:28","date_gmt":"2018-05-08T20:51:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swappa.com\/blog\/?p=2713"},"modified":"2018-05-08T15:58:16","modified_gmt":"2018-05-08T20:58:16","slug":"how-to-transfer-nintendo-switch-game-saves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swappa.com\/blog\/how-to-transfer-nintendo-switch-game-saves\/","title":{"rendered":"How to transfer your Nintendo Switch game saves"},"content":{"rendered":"

So it\u2019s time to finally part ways with your Nintendo Switch. Whether you\u2019re selling it here on Swappa<\/a>, handing it down to the next generation, or sending it in for repairs, you\u2019ll probably want to transfer all your data first. Unless, of course, you don\u2019t mind losing out on the 80+ hours you\u2019ve invested into Zelda: BoW<\/a>. Yeah, we didn\u2019t think so.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, Nintendo doesn\u2019t yet offer a way to backup your user information and game saves either to the cloud or onto a microSD card. This will change in the future when their new Nintendo Online service goes live in September, but currently the only way to keep the hours of blood, sweat, and tears you\u2019ve poured into your Switch — which includes your saved game data and Nintendo eShop purchases — is by transferring them to another Switch system. It\u2019s not exactly convenient but it\u2019s your only option at the moment.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t have a new Nintendo Switch to transfer to? Well, you\u2019re kind of out of luck. Feel free to bookmark this page and come back at a later time. For everyone else, if you\u2019ve got a spare Nintendo Switch handy, then read on\u2026<\/p>\n

Transferring your Nintendo Switch account and game saves<\/h1>\n

Since you\u2019ll need to two<\/em> Switch consoles to make this happen, we\u2019ll refer to the original console as the \u201csource console,\u201d while the new one will be referred to as the \u201ctarget console.\u201d Got it? Let\u2019s continue…<\/p>\n

On the original<\/strong> (source) Nintendo Switch<\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Navigate to the Home<\/strong> menu<\/li>\n
  2. From there, tap on the System Settings<\/strong> (gear) icon.<\/li>\n
  3. Select the Users<\/strong> tab on the left.<\/li>\n
  4. From here, tap on the following: Transfer Your User and Save Data<\/strong> > Next<\/strong> > Next<\/strong> (again) > Source Console<\/strong> (This means all the data will be transferred from this console).<\/li>\n
  5. Tap Continue<\/strong> then finish the transfer process on the new, target console.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    On the new<\/strong> (target) Nintendo Switch<\/h2>\n
      \n
    1. Navigate to the Home<\/strong> menu<\/li>\n
    2. From there, tap on the System Settings<\/strong> (gear) icon.<\/li>\n
    3. Select the Users<\/strong> tab on the left.<\/li>\n
    4. From here, tap on the following: Transfer Your User and Save Data<\/strong> > Next<\/strong> > Next<\/strong> (again) > Target Console<\/strong> (This means all the data will be transferred to this console).<\/li>\n
    5. Select Sign in<\/strong> using either your sign-in ID or the email address associated with your Nintendo Account.<\/li>\n
    6. After entering your password, tap Sign in<\/strong> > Next<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      On the original<\/strong> (source) console…<\/h2>\n
        \n
      1. Wait for the new target console to be found.<\/li>\n
      2. Once it\u2019s been found, select Transfer<\/strong> to begin moving your data over to the new (target) console.<\/li>\n
      3. Wait for the entire transfer process to complete (this may take a few minutes).<\/li>\n
      4. Once finished, tap End<\/strong> to complete the transfer process.<\/li>\n
      5. Celebrate<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Things worth mentioning:<\/h2>\n