How to transfer your data from Nintendo Switch to Switch 2 step-by-step

It's palpable, you can feel it in the air that Nintendo Switch 2 is about to arrive in the homes of millions of gamers. But before that there are many more, more than 150 million Switch 1 consoles (original, Lite, or OLED) scattered around the world, and many users who are preparing to make the leap to its successor are already wondering in the run-up to the launch how they can prepare for the occasion.

Nintendo itself knows this, which is why it has published information on how to transfer data to Nintendo Switch 2 on its official website. From this official insight we are going to extract the first steps that you can start doing now, without waiting for the new console to arrive in your hands, below.

Afterwards, apart from the official information that Nintendo continues to share, we will be expanding, detailing, and updating this guide with your most frequently asked questions about data transfer as well as with images and tips derived from our personal experience with the console once it arrives on the market on June 5, 2025.

How to transfer data, games and settings between two consoles

Nintendo Switch 2 comes ready with a feature called"System Transfer", which allows you to copy data between two machines. At a certain point (specifically Step 5), you can choose between two options: send the data from your Nintendo Switch console to the server or use local communication to transfer data between the source and destination consoles.

Let's go through the process together step-by-step:

• Step 1: Connect to the internet and update your Nintendo Switch 1 console to system software version 20.1.0 or later, which is required to perform the transfer. To do this, go to Home > System Settings > System (at the bottom) > "System Update". When done, you will see that it says Current Version: 20.1.0.


• Step 2: Check how much storage all your data takes up on your Switch 1 console (see below "Do I have enough storage space on my Nintendo Switch 2 out of the box?"). If you don't have your new Switch 2 console with you yet, skip to Step 4.


• Step 3: Start your Nintendo Switch 2 console: Turn it on and connect it to the internet. Next, apply the day one update that various sources have confirmed the machine will receive right out of the box. To do this, if you're not prompted to do so, follow the same instructions as in Step 1.


• Step 4: Open the cross-console System Transfer function. To find the option, follow the instructions from Step 1 and instead of "Console Update", scroll down to "Transfer to a Nintendo Switch 2 console", just above "Formatting Options". Here you can read more information about transferring data to Nintendo Switch 2 (MT-10002) before you begin.


• Step 5: Now "Make sure the Nintendo Switch 2 is nearby" will appear and it's up to you to decide whether you want to transfer locally or remotely. If you have your new Switch 2 console at hand, choose "Done" and skip to Step 7. If you don't have it yet (imagine selling your Switch to the retailer and then receiving your Switch 2), choose "I don't have a Nintendo Switch console" and proceed to Step 6.


• Step 6: To make the transfer remotely, your Switch 1 data will first be sent to a Nintendo Server. Nintendo warns that "the data will be stored until you transfer it to a Nintendo Switch 2 console, cancel the process and restore your Nintendo Switch console, or until the storage limit date". You can now move on to Step 8.


• Step 7: If you clicked "Done", both consoles will be linked. Once connected, click "Start Download" to watch all the data being copied from one to the other.


• Step 8: For downloaded games, regardless of the method chosen, there is no transfer between machines, but Nintendo specifies that "as soon as the data transfer is complete, your digital games will be automatically re-downloaded to the new console".

Do I have to be connected to the Internet or the same Wi-Fi network to make the transfer?

Yes to the former, no to the latter. In the case of local communication between two machines, Nintendo requires "an active internet connection" according to the official information, we understand to perform checks with the associated Nintendo Accounts on its own servers, of which you also need to log in to at least one. Instead, according to the same information available at the moment, the transfer is done over a local Wi-Fi connection between the two machines, and not over a common Wi-Fi network. For this reason, there is also no mention at this time of any possibility of accelerating the transfer by LAN cable over an ethernet connection.

That said, as you can see in Step 8, it is highly recommended to have a good Internet connection, either ethernet or Wi-Fi, to re-download games from the Nintendo eShop.

How long do I have to download the data to a Switch 2 if I have chosen the remote option?

Nintendo explains that if the consoles are not in close proximity and you opt for the server upload method, the data on your original Switch will wait on the server for up to one year, after which time you will need to download it to a Switch 2 before it is deleted.

What data in particular can be copied between Switch and Switch 2?

Nintendo specifies that the following items can be transferred at launch:

• User accounts (profiles and linked Nintendo Accounts).


• Downloaded digital games.


• Game save data (game saves).


• Screenshots and captured gameplay videos.


• Apps and access to Nintendo Switch Online for paid subscribers.


• Parental Control settings and "other system settings". However, they do warn that you will need to set Parental Controls for new features such as GameChat.

As for non-transferable data, Nintendo warns that News and Bluetooth audio settings cannot be copied.

Will the Pikmin help me transfer my account data?

According to the information available as of today, no, the adorable pikmins that Nintendo cleverly and charmingly over-exploited to parade around your screens transferring all your data package-by-package between Wii and Wii U have not been contracted for data copying between Switch and Switch 2, and so you'll have to make do with a boring menu with corresponding progress bars.

That said, we've yet to make the transfer ourselves, and there's always the hope that this supposed day one update, or subsequent updates, will bring back the best data transfer recreation ever seen.

Can I still play my Switch 1 games after the transfer?

While in the remote transfer method by uploading to an online server it is clear that the console is factory reset (read the quote below), in the case of local transfer by proximity between two consoles Nintendo does not specify whether the transfer via local communication affects the Switch of origin and therefore we will have to wait to check it with a launch console. Hopefully, as in previous cases, it will give the option to either factory reset the used machine (for example if you want to sell it or give it to someone else) or alternatively to keep all its data and settings (in case you want to continue using it as a second console in parallel).

"After the upload to the server is complete, the source Nintendo Switch console will be restored to factory settings. This deletes all data on the console and resets it to the default state."

Do I have enough storage space on my Nintendo Switch 2 out of the box?

That's a very good question. Although Nintendo Switch 2 comes by default with eight times the storage capacity of the original Switch (256 GB in total), it's possible that you have a similar or even larger microSD memory card inserted in your old Switch that exceeds that figure. If that's the case and you want to copy absolutely everything, you'll need to either delete data to free up some space before making the transfer... or purchase a Switch 2-compatible microSD Express card to expand the storage capacity of your new console. In any case, as games start downloading from the Nintendo eShop in Step 6 towards the end of the process, you can always leave the downloading of some titles for later. However, this won't do you any good for all those screenshots and videos that are also taking up a lot of space...

On the compatibility of Switch games and accessories on the new Switch 2

Nintendo has already spoken out on this matter on several occasions. The vast majority of Nintendo Switch games, both physical and digital, are 100% compatible with Nintendo Switch 2, with a few exceptions.

Likewise, Joy-Con controllers and Switch 1 Pro Controllers can be connected and paired wirelessly with Switch 2, although Nintendo states in its official information that it is not possible to exit Switch 2 standby mode (suspended system) with Switch 1 controllers, and that logically the old controllers do not sport the new C button, dedicated to GameChat, and therefore it is alternatively accessible from the Home menu with those controllers.