Nintendo Switch 2 Data Transfer Explained

Upgrading from a Nintendo Switch or Switch OLED to a Nintendo Switch 2 is exciting, but nobody wants to lose years of progress, screenshots, or digital purchases. Nintendo provides built-in tools to move your profile, save data, screenshots, and games from your old console to the new one, but the process can be confusing if you dive in without a plan.

This guide walks you through how Switch 2 transfers work, what you can and can’t move, and the safest way to complete the process with minimal hassle.

1. How data works on Switch and Switch 2

Before you start, it helps to understand how Nintendo organizes your data. That knowledge makes the transfer options and their limits much clearer.

1.1 Types of data involved

On a Nintendo Switch family system, your information is split into several categories:

• Nintendo Account data – Your online identity, purchases, Nintendo Switch Online membership, and cloud save eligibility.
• User profiles – Local users on a specific console that link to Nintendo Accounts and hold local settings.
• Save data – Game progress stored per user on the console, sometimes backed up to the cloud with Nintendo Switch Online.
• Digital games – Titles downloaded from the eShop to internal memory or a microSD card.
• Physical game rights – Cartridges that will run on any compatible console, but whose saves are stored locally.
• Screenshots and video captures – Media stored on system memory or microSD.
• System settings and parental controls – Network settings, restrictions, and preferences tied to the console.

Nintendo’s System Transfer feature is designed to move almost all of the above from your original Switch to your Switch 2 in one structured process, reducing the risk of leaving something behind.

1.2 What the System Transfer feature does

According to Nintendo’s official transfer guide for Nintendo Switch 2, the System Transfer tool can move digital purchases, compatible save data, and user information from one console to another using a direct connection between the systems.¹ On Switch 2, this appears during initial setup and can also be accessed later in system settings.

Think of System Transfer as a controller that:

• Links your existing Nintendo Accounts to the new console.
• Moves user profiles and their local save data.
• Prepares the new console to redownload games tied to your account.
• Helps bring across screenshots and videos, either over the network or via microSD.

However, it’s not a full “disk clone.” Some items, like certain save files or software that’s no longer compatible, won’t behave exactly like a 1:1 copy. You may need to redownload titles from the eShop or rely on cloud backups for specific games.

2. What will and won’t transfer to Switch 2

Different data types behave differently during migration. This overview helps you avoid surprises when you boot up your Switch 2 for the first time.

2.1 Data that usually transfers smoothly

When you use the official System Transfer, you can expect the following items to move successfully, as long as both systems are up to date and connected:

• User profiles and Nintendo Accounts – Your profiles and their link to Nintendo Accounts move to your Switch 2.
• Digital purchases – Rights to your eShop games follow your Nintendo Account. You redownload them on Switch 2 at no extra cost.
• Most save data – Local saves for supported games migrate with the user profile, or via cloud backups for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers.
• Parental controls settings – Existing restrictions and links to the parental controls app can be carried over and adjusted later.
• System preferences – Basic settings such as language, some controller options, and network profiles may transfer, though you might need to re-enter Wi‑Fi passwords.
• Screenshots and videos – If you use a microSD card, you can physically move it, or copy captures using a PC or the console transfer tools.

2.2 Data that may not transfer or needs extra steps

Certain types of content have caveats:

• Game-specific save restrictions – A small number of titles restrict how saves can be backed up or moved to prevent cheating. Check the eShop or Nintendo’s documentation if a high-stakes game is involved.
• Local-only saves on another user’s profile – If you skip transferring a profile, its saves do not come across.
• Some network settings – You may need to reconfigure Wi‑Fi or DNS settings on the new console.
• Unlinked Nintendo Accounts – Any local user not linked to a Nintendo Account is more fragile. Link them before starting.

If you rely heavily on a specific game—especially one used in online competitions—consider manually confirming its transfer method or using cloud backups through Nintendo Switch Online, which provides automatic save backups for many titles.²

2.3 Quick comparison table

3. Preparation checklist before you transfer

The fastest way to run into problems is to start a system transfer without preparation. Spend a few minutes getting both consoles ready and your migration will be smoother.

3.1 Update both consoles

First, ensure your original Switch and your Switch 2 are running the latest system software. Nintendo recommends updating both systems before using transfer features to avoid compatibility issues.¹

On your original Switch:

• Open System Settings from the Home menu.
• Scroll to System.
• Select System Update and allow any downloads and installations to complete.

You’ll be prompted similarly on Switch 2 during or after initial setup.

3.2 Confirm Nintendo Accounts are linked

Each user profile you want to carry over should be connected to a Nintendo Account. This ensures digital purchases and cloud saves move correctly and gives you a fallback if something goes wrong.

• On your original Switch, go to System Settings > Users.
• Select each profile and confirm it shows a linked Nintendo Account email.
• If not, follow the prompts to link a Nintendo Account or create one.

Nintendo Accounts are the backbone of your purchases and online services, so it’s worth double-checking this step.³

3.3 Ensure power and connectivity

Interruptions during a transfer can cause errors and force you to restart parts of the process. To avoid that:

• Connect both consoles to power (dock or AC adapter) for the entire transfer.
• Keep them close together and connected to the same stable Wi‑Fi network.
• Avoid changing network settings mid-transfer or moving too far from the router.

3.4 Back up screenshots and videos as a safety net

Although captures usually transfer or can be moved with a microSD card, media is often the most sentimental data. Consider making an extra copy:

• Insert a microSD card into your original Switch if you don’t already use one.
• Copy important screenshots and clips to the card using the Album and data management options.
• Optionally, connect the card to a PC and store the media on a hard drive or cloud storage.

This is also a good time to delete throwaway clips to make the transfer faster.

4. Performing a full System Transfer to Switch 2

Once you’re prepared, you can start the System Transfer. You can do this either when you first power on the Switch 2 or later from system settings.

4.1 Starting the transfer during initial setup

If your Switch 2 is brand new and hasn’t been set up yet, this route is straightforward:

1. Power on the Switch 2 and follow the on-screen prompts until you reach the question about moving data from another system.
2. Select the option to Start System Transfer (wording may vary).
3. The Switch 2 will instruct you to prepare your original Switch.

Leave the Switch 2 on this screen, and move over to your original console.

4.2 Starting the transfer from an already-set-up Switch 2

If you already went through setup and skipped the transfer prompt, you can still migrate your data later:

• On Switch 2, open System Settings from the Home menu.
• Navigate to the system transfer option for moving data from a previous Switch system (usually under Data Management or System, depending on the exact firmware layout).
• Select the option to receive data from another console and follow the on-screen instructions until it waits for a source system.

4.3 Configuring the original Switch as the source console

With the Switch 2 waiting, pick up your original Switch:

1. Open System Settings on the original console.
2. Scroll down to the system transfer menu that mentions sending data to a Nintendo Switch 2.
3. Select the option to send data.
4. Choose the user profile(s) you want to migrate.
5. Confirm any warnings about save data being removed from the original system after transfer (for one-way transfers this is expected).

At this point, both consoles will attempt to detect each other. Keep them close together and don’t put them into sleep mode.

4.4 Completing the transfer

When the consoles connect successfully:

• The original Switch will start sending user and save data to the Switch 2.
• A progress bar will appear on both screens; duration depends on how much data you’re moving.
• After the transfer completes, the Switch 2 may restart and then log in using your Nintendo Account.
• Previously purchased games will appear in your Library or eShop history ready to be redownloaded.

Most transfers complete within minutes, but a large library and many saves can take longer. Once finished, use the Switch 2’s software management tools to prioritize downloads of any game you want to play first.

5. Alternative approaches: partial transfers and cloud saves

Not everyone needs or wants a full system transfer. In some cases, you might prefer to move only certain users, specific save files, or rely mostly on the cloud.

5.1 Per-profile transfers

If multiple people share your original Switch and not everyone is moving to the Switch 2, you can perform transfers on a per-profile basis where supported by the system firmware:

• On the original console, open System Settings > Users and look for options to transfer a user to another console.
• On the Switch 2, start the transfer in receive mode.
• Follow prompts for the specific profile only, leaving others untouched on the old system.

This can be helpful when, for example, parents stay on the old Switch while children move to the Switch 2.

5.2 Using Nintendo Switch Online cloud saves

Nintendo Switch Online (NSO) subscribers gain access to cloud save backups for many games. Nintendo notes that these backups allow you to restore save data to another console using the same Nintendo Account.²

Typical steps for cloud-based restore are:

1. On the original Switch, make sure automatic cloud backups are enabled in System Settings > Data Management > Save Data Cloud.
2. Leave the console connected to the internet to upload the latest save data.
3. On the Switch 2, sign in with the same Nintendo Account.
4. Open the Save Data Cloud menu and download backups for your installed games.

This method is powerful if you don’t want to perform a full system transfer or you’re moving between multiple consoles, but it depends on the game supporting cloud backups and an active NSO membership.

5.3 Moving screenshots and videos via microSD

While system transfer features can handle some media, the most direct way to move a large capture gallery is via microSD card:

• On the original Switch, insert or confirm you have a microSD card with enough free space.
• Use the Album and data management menus to copy or store captures on the microSD card.
• Power off the console, remove the card, and place it into the Switch 2.
• On the Switch 2, use its capture management tools to view and manage the transferred media.

Optionally, you can plug the card into a PC and maintain a separate archive of your favorite moments.

6. After the move: verifying and cleaning up

When your Switch 2 is set up and the transfer is complete, take a few minutes to confirm everything looks right and then decide what to do with your original console.

6.1 Confirming transferred content

On the Switch 2:

• Check that all expected user profiles are present on the Home screen.
• Open a few key games and confirm that your save data (levels, progress, items) is intact.
• Visit the eShop and verify your purchase history and ability to redownload games.
• Open the Album and confirm that important screenshots and captures appear as expected.

If anything is missing, look into whether the game uses cloud saves, has special transfer rules, or needs a manual import from microSD.

6.2 Resetting or repurposing the original Switch

Once you’re confident your data is safe on the Switch 2, you can choose what to do with the old console:

• Keep it as a secondary device – Useful for guests, local multiplayer, or as a backup handheld. In this case, review which profiles and saves remain.
• Factory reset before selling or gifting – Nintendo provides a factory reset option in system settings, which wipes user data, save data, and personal information from the device before passing it on.⁴
• Trade-in – Many retailers and platforms accept used game hardware; just make sure your accounts are unlinked and reset is complete first.

If you do reset, double-check that your Switch 2 has everything you need before pressing the final confirmation button.

7. Common questions about Switch 2 transfers

The transfer process raises a lot of “what if” scenarios. Here are answers to some of the most common questions.

7.1 FAQs