How To Transfer Data From One Nintendo Switch To Another

Transferring your data, games, and system settings is one of the best features of modern devices. Nintendo users can also enjoy these benefits, so we’re exploring how to transfer data from one Switch to another.

For example, if you’re getting a new Switch OLED or a Switch Lite, you can transfer the data from the old system to the new one.

Although there are various ways to do it, none of these transfer everything you need: games, saved data, screenshots, and videos. If you want to transfer everything, you’ll need to mix two methods at least.

Table of Contents

How to Transfer Data from One Switch to Another?

There’re various data transfer methods, so you don’t have to leave your data behind. The method depends on the data you want to keep. Also, these instructions work to transfer data between any Switch console including the original model, the Switch Lite, and the Switch OLED.

You need to know some things before we go through troubleshooting. First, both consoles should be on the same Wi-Fi, making it much easier. Similarly, both consoles need to be close.

Secondly, it would be best to have a display for each console to manage both interfaces and find the options you need. You can transfer your saved data with an additional method if you don’t have two displays. We will look after each one below.

Use the Nintendo Switch’s Data Transfer Option

Here’re the detailed steps to transfer the data the old-fashioned way.

Make sure both systems are up to date by going to System settings > System > System update.
Make sure both consoles are on the same Wi-Fi.
Make sure both consoles are connected to the outlet with the power supply. Using them on the Dock and on a TV or monitor would be best.
On each system, go to System Settings by pressing the Home button.
Select User on each console.
Select Transfer Your User and Save Data on both consoles.
Select Next on both consoles, and then Next again.
If you must, type the Parental Control PIN.
The system will ask you which is the “Source Console” and the “Target Console” On your old system, select Source; on the new one, select Target.
On your old system, select your User Profile.
On your new system, sign into the Nintendo Account that belongs to your old system’s User Profile.
Select Continue or Next on both consoles.
Select Transfer on your old console. The process can take about 30 minutes.
After the process is complete, you and press End on both consoles.

Your saved data, eShop content, and profile should be on the new console. You’re ready for some Switch gaming.

Transfer the Data One Console at A Time

A secondary method allows you to use one console simultaneously to transfer data. As before, make sure both consoles are up to date and make sure both are on the same Wi-Fi.

To do it, go to the “source” console and follow these steps:

Press the Home button.
Go to System Settings.
Go to Data Management.
Go to Transfer Your Save Data.
Select Send Save Data to Another Console.
Select the saved data file you want to send.
Select Send Save Data.

Then, on the “target” console, follow these steps:

Go to System Settings.
Select Data Management.
Select Transfer your Save Data.
Select Receive Save Data.
Select Ok after the process completes.

Use the Nintendo Switch Online Feature

The third method uses the Nintendo Switch Online benefits to upload and download data.

First, on the old console, follow these steps:

Make sure your console is up to date.
Press the home button on the controller.
Go to System Settings.
Go to Data Management.
Go to Save Data Cloud.
Enable Automatic Save-Data Backup and Automatic Save-Data Download.

Then, on the new console, you need to follow these steps:

Log in to the same account as your old console.
Go to the Nintendo eShop.
Select your profile icon at the upper right.
Select Redownload to see the list of games you can download.
Your cloud-saved will appear right away. If it doesn’t appear, put the Switch to sleep for about one minute by pressing the power button.

Moving Games to A MicroSD or Game-Card

Re-downloading games can take several hours, so you may need another method. The other method is using a physical card to transfer games. It can also work to transfer screenshots and videos.

First, on the old system:

Insert a microSD card into the console.
Press the Home button on the controller.
Go to System Settings.
Go to Data Management.
Select Move Data Between System/microSD Card.
Select “Move to microSD” card.
Select the games you want to move. The game data lives on the system memory, which means this process won’t transfer game data.

Then, on your new system:

Insert the microSD card into the new console.
Press the Home button.
Go to System Settings.
Go to Data Management.
Select Move Data Between System/microSD Card.
Select “Move to System Memory” card.
Select the games you want to move. The game data lives on the system memory so this process won’t transfer game data.

Lastly, to transfer screenshots and video to your physical card, do this on your older console:

Go to System Settings.
Go to Data Management.
Go to Manage Screenshots and Videos.
Select “System Memory”.
Select “Copy All Screenshots and Videos to SD Card”.

Additional Information

Transferring the data without a Nintendo Switch Online membership and physical cards has various drawbacks:

It would help if you had a Nintendo Account linked to a user account to transfer from a source to a target console. The Nintendo Account can’t be linked to various accounts on the console before the transfer.
You can’t have more than seven users on any console before you migrate the data.
The new console must have enough space to receive the data.
After the process, the user information saved data, and digital content will no longer be available on the “source” console.

Additionally, these methods don’t move games. Nintendo Switch games are heavy, so you’d need to redownload them from the Nintendo eShop.

In other words, go to the Nintendo eShop, sign in to your account, go to your profile, and find the Redownload option.