How To Transfer Digital Games To A New Nintendo Switch
Let's say you've just gotten ahold of a brand-new Nintendo Switch console, but this isn't your first. Maybe it's an upgrade to the fancy OLED model, perhaps you've been sharing with family, and this one is just for you. Whatever the reason, if you already have or have had a Switch, and now you have a new one, you don't have to start building up an entirely new games library (or even start your games over).
Thankfully there are ways to transfer your digital games from one Switch to another, along with your user accounts and saves. While the process is a bit different depending on whether you have access to that original Switch console, it's still doable either way. Just know that it might take a little more effort without the console where all of your info was previously saved. And you'll likely lose any game progress that wasn't backed up using Cloud saves.
If you still have the original Switch console
Assuming you do have both the previous Switch and the new one you want to transfer everything over to, here's what you do:
- From the original Switch, open System Settings (the icon looks like a gear) on the Home menu.
- Select Users, then select Transfer Your User Data.
- Select Next twice, and then choose Source Console to mark this Switch as the transferrer.
- Select Continue, then grab the new Switch console to which you want to move everything.
- From the new Switch, open System Settings and select Users, then Transfer Your User Data.
- Select Next, Next again, then choose Target Console to designate this Switch as the transferee.
- Select Sign-in, then sign into your Nintendo Account using either the associated email or sign-in ID.
- Select Sign-in, then Next, then go back to the original Switch.
- Wait for the systems to find each other, then select Transfer.
- Wait until the transfer is complete (this may take several minutes), then select End to finish.
If you no longer have the original Switch console
Things are a little more time-consuming without access to the original Switch console on which your account was created or primarily used. Also, note that any saved data that hasn't been backed up via Cloud storage will not be able to carry over.
- First, ensure the original Switch console has been deactivated (via Nintendo), which can be done remotely through your Nintendo Account via the official website.
- Next, if you haven't done it yet, link your Nintendo Account (via Nintendo) to the new Switch console.
- Log into the eShop on the Switch using your Nintendo Account, which will designate it as the primary console.
- You can download cloud backups of your game saves — if you have a Switch Online subscription and have been using the feature.
- You can also access your account's download history through the eShop and begin installing any of the digital games you've previously purchased. This will, of course, take longer when dealing with more or larger games and will require an adequate amount of storage space.