How to Transfer a Digital Game to a New Nintendo Switch

Planning to replace your old Nintendo Switch to a new one but worried you’ll lose all your games and data? While Nintendo has made it hard for users to digitally transfer games to a new console in the past, the transfer of games in Switch is actually easy. To do that, we’ll be teaching you, step-by-step, on how to transfer a digital game to a new Nintendo Switch. Read on to see our tutorial!

Transfer and Save Data

Before transferring your game, you want to make sure that the work you’ve done won’t be lost. Also, once you transfer your saved data, it will automatically be deleted from your old Switch. You will be asked first if you will keep your old console or will dispose of it. Keep it and Nintendo will tell you how to select which saved data from individual games will be transferred. If you’re getting rid of your old console completely, you will transfer everything to the new one.

The first thing you have to do is to make sure both consoles are connected to power – even if they are fully charged. Then, turn on your old console, go to System Settings > Users > Transfer Your User Data.

Select Source Console and hit Continue.

Now, open your new Switch and do the same thing over again. However, instead of selecting Source Console, choose Target Console.

When you’re being asked to sign in, log in your Nintendo Account. Make sure that both consoles are connected to the same Wi-Fi network so that your old console can detect the new one, and it will start transferring your data. Once the data has been transferred, data on your old Switch will be deleted.

Remember that the transfer of data is done one user at a time. So if you have multiple accounts in one console, you’ll have to repeat the same process.

Transfer a Digital Game

To transfer a digital game to a new Nintendo Switch is a whole other process. When you transfer your data, the game doesn’t come with it. You have to re-download it.

You have to first deactivate your account in your old Switch since an account can only be active in one console at a time. To do this, go to your console’s eShop and select the account you want to deactivate.

Go to your profile found on the upper right corner of the screen.

When the page loads, scroll down and you’ll see the Deregister button under Primary Console. Hit the Deregister button and confirm deactivation. After that, go to your new Switch to log in if you haven’t yet. After logging in, you can now download your purchased games on your new console. Remember to access the eShop using your account.

To check if your account is active in the new Switch, just go to your profile in eShop and look at the Active-Console Status. If it’s active, you’ll see, “This console is active.”

If you have any other questions regarding your Nintendo Switch, you can always visit Nintendo Customer Support.

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