Current Events > Question about transferring Nintendo Switch data

(+) Yeah! (+)

My stepbrother and I share a Nintendo Switch, well yesterday we got a second one for Christmas. Now we're have a total conumdrum on how to transfer the game data for certain games.

For example: we have a digital copy of Splatoon tied to my account, if I transfer my data to the new Switch that means Splatoon comes along with me and won't be available on the old one, right? Does that mean he will lose all his progress on Splatoon (since we both played it on the old Switch)? Or will he be able to purchase his own copy of Splatoon and still have all his Splatoon data intact?

Should he backup all his user data before the transfer? We don't want to transfer anything if it means losing the save data for digital games that only one of us owned but both of us played. Nintendo's own website doesn't really explain it well either.

Thanks.

Bump.

You can transfer one account and all that account's saves if you just want an account on each switch. Saves will still be there even for games that are moved that you can no longer play. You can have both accounts on both switchs if you want, and if you have an online account and the game supports cloud saves, then you can play that save on either console.

If you were using one account for two people, then you'd probably be better off just copying the data.

If you bought digital games with just one account, and then transfer that account to a new switch and make that new switch your primary console, then the old switch will no longer have access to that digital content. You can get around that by keeping the old switch as your primary console, and just redownloading your account on your new switch (but you'll need an internet connection to play any digital license). Which means you'd both have access to all your dlc and digital games as long as the new console has an internet connection.

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