Nintendo Switch 2 setup guide: System transfer explained
The Nintendo Switch 2 is out now in many countries throughout the world, and millions of players are logging onto their fancy new hybrid hardware for the first time. There are dozens of games available at launch, but before you get to play any of them, you’ll need to set up your console.
If you’re coming from a Switch console, you have two very different options for transferring your accounts and content from the Switch to the Switch 2: server transfers, or local transfers. Each has their own pros and cons, and you might opt to forgo either and set it up as a fresh console instead, which also has its benefits and drawbacks.
We’ve explored all the setup options on Switch 2 to put together this comprehensive guide for how to transfer Switch data to Switch 2 using each transfer method on the console, including the pros and cons of each.
Nintendo Switch 2: Server system transfer details
The server transfer option on Switch 2 is the most comprehensive, but also the most permanent. It will permanently move all of the accounts, game licenses, save files, screenshots, and videos from the Switch into the cloud, after which you can download it all in one go to your Switch 2 during the setup process.
Server transfers are good for if you’re trading in your Switch towards a Switch 2, because it safely stores all the data you’d ever need in the cloud, where it can be retrieved up to a year later. It also restores the Switch to factory settings after uploading all of your data, which can be a pro or a con depending on how you look at it. On the upside, it’s now perfectly ready to go, but on the downside, you’ll have to set up your Switch like new if you want to keep using it.
This option can take a bit of time, depending on the speed of your internet connection, how many user accounts you have saved on the console, how many save files you have, and how many screenshots and videos you have. It’s all or nothing, so either everything gets uploaded, or nothing does.
If you do intend to keep using your Switch alongside your Switch 2, the server system transfer is not recommended.
Nintendo Switch 2: Local system transfer details
A local transfer from Switch to Switch 2 lets you wirelessly transfer your Switch to your Switch 2 over local wireless, just as the name suggests. This, too, transfers all of your accounts, game saves, screenshots, videos, and more to the Switch 2, but importantly it also leaves a copy of all of those things on the Switch, as well.
There are a few exceptions. Games that don’t support cloud saves, such as the Pokémon games, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and demos, won’t have their save files left behind on the Switch — they’ll be transferred to the Switch 2 and then deleted on Switch. All other games
This option is the go-to for anyone who wants to keep using their Switch even after they upgrade to the Switch 2. Given some games aren’t entirely compatible with Switch 2 just yet, this might be a good option for those who aren’t trading in their Switch, since it will allow you to continue playing those incompatible games on Switch while you wait for an update on Switch 2.
This transfer process also has an interesting step for transferring screenshots and videos — instead of transferring them wirelessly, you’ll take the SD card out of your Switch, place it into your Switch 2, and it will transfer them all via the SD card slot. This makes the process much faster overall than server transfers, so even if you aren’t planning on using your Switch much afterwards, it might be worth considering over a server transfer.
Nintendo Switch 2: Fresh setup details
The final option is to forgo any kind of transfer at all, instead setting the Switch 2 up as if it were a brand-new fresh console. You can log into your Nintendo Account and access all of your digitally purchased games, although it will count towards one of your two systems that are able to access Virtual Game Cards, which is worth keeping in mind.
The benefit of this is that setup is effectively instant in comparison to the other two options. You can transfer the save files you want one-by-one, which can be a bit slower, but being able to grab what you want when you want it, rather than transferring everything at once, can be a good option for some.
The downside to this is that you won’t be able to easily transfer your Animal Crossing save. Instead, you’ll have to download the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Island Transfer Tool on both the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch 2, open it up on both, and go through that separate transfer process. You’ll also have to do a manual transfer of your saves that don’t support cloud saves, so you can’t just shoot your Pokémon Violet save into the cloud and grab it later — you’ll need both consoles in hand.
This is also the only option available if you didn’t own a Switch, since there’s nothing to transfer.