How to Play Your Games Across Multiple Nintendo Switch 2 or Nintendo Switch Consoles

What to do

• How to replace one console with another

  Game save data and your digital games and downloadable content are tied to your Nintendo Account.

  If you are replacing a Nintendo Switch console with a Nintendo Switch 2 console, we recommend that you perform a system transfer to move your Nintendo Switch data to your Nintendo Switch 2.

  • This will move your Nintendo Accounts, user profiles, save data, and Nintendo eShop purchases to the replacement console.
  • This moves all users at once.

  If you are replacing a Nintendo Switch 2 with another Nintendo Switch 2, we recommend that you link your Nintendo Account to the new console and transfer your save data to the new console.

  If you are replacing a Nintendo Switch with another Nintendo Switch, we recommend that you transfer your user data from the original Nintendo Switch console to your replacement console.

  • This will move your Nintendo Account, user profile, save data, and Nintendo eShop purchases to the replacement console.
  • Data is moved one user at a time, so you can keep other users on the original console.
• How to play games on multiple consoles
  1. What type of games do you want to play on the different consoles?

     Physical game cards (without downloadable content) Digital games, or physical games with downloadable content

  2. To play physical game cards with multiple consoles, insert the game card into the console you want to play on and select the game from the HOME Menu.

     How many consoles do you want to play on?

     Two Three or more

  3. If you have two consoles you want to use to play your digital games or downloadable content and both of them are available, please follow the virtual game card guide.

     If you only have one of the two consoles available, and it is not currently one of your consoles that can load virtual game cards, you can enable the online license setting to play digital games and DLC while connected to the Internet.

     If you would like to play your digital games or DLC on more than two consoles, you can turn on the online license setting in conjunction with linking two of the consoles to use virtual game cards. When the online license setting is turned on, you can play downloaded software or DLC you've purchased while the system is connected to the internet, even if you don't have the virtual game card loaded.

  Additional information

  Game save data is associated with your Nintendo Account and the console you play on. If you want to use the same save data on different consoles, you can transfer the data or use the Save Data Cloud Backup feature if you have a Nintendo Switch Online membership.

  • How to transfer save data from one console to another

    Transferring save data will remove the save data from the source console and move it to the target console.

    You can transfer save data as often as you need.

    For details, read How to Transfer Your Save Data To a Nearby Nintendo Switch Console.

  • How to use Save Data Cloud Backup on Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch

    If you have a Nintendo Switch Online membership, you can use the Save Data Cloud backup feature to back up save data from one console and download it on another.

    • To back up save data:
      1. Using the console that has the save data you want to back up, from the HOME Menu, highlight the icon for a game with save data you want to back up.
      2. Press the - Button or + Button to access the software menu.
      3. Select Save Data Cloud.
      4. Select the desired user, then select Back Up Save Data.
    • To download save data:
      1. Using the console that you want to download the save data to, from the HOME Menu, highlight the icon for a game with save data you want to download.
      2. Press the - Button or + Button to access the software menu.
      3. Select Save Data Cloud.
      4. Select the desired user, then select Download Save Data.

    For more details, read How to Back Up Save Data on Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch and How to Download Save Data Cloud Backups on Nintendo Switch 2 or on Nintendo Switch.

• How to share games with other users
  1. Will you be sharing physical game cards or downloaded games/content?

     Physical game cards (without downloadable content) Digital games, or physical games with downloadable content

  2. To share a physical game with another user, have them insert the game card into the console they want to play on and select the game from the HOME Menu.

     • How to use the same save data on multiple consoles

       Game save data is associated with the Nintendo Account and the console, not the game card.

       If a user wants to use the same save data on the different consoles, there are two options:

       • Save data can be transferred from one console to another nearby console.
       • If the user has a Nintendo Switch Online membership, they can use the Save Data Cloud backup feature to back up save data from one console and download it on another.
         • For more details, read How to Back Up Save Data on Nintendo Switch and How to Download Save Data Cloud Backups.

     Digital games and downloadable content are tied to the Nintendo Account that purchased them. Other people can play your digital content if they are playing on a console where you have loaded the content as a virtual game card, and vice versa.

     • How to load a virtual game card
       1. Select Virtual Game Cards Tarjetas de juego virtuales Cartes de jeu virtuelles Cartões de jogo virtuais from the HOME Menu.
       2. Select your user.
       3. If prompted, enter your user verification PIN or enter your Nintendo Account password.
       4. Select the game you want to load from the list of your virtual game cards.
       5. Select Load on This System Cargar en esta consola Charger sur cette console Carregar neste console .
       6. If not already downloaded, the icon for the game will appear on the HOME Menu and it will begin downloading. Once downloaded, all users on the console where the game is loaded can play the game.

       For more information, read the Virtual Game Card Guide.

     You can also lend members of your family group your virtual game cards, so they can play on their own console. For more information about sharing and lending your virtual game cards, follow the Virtual Game Card Guide.