Nintendo Switch: guide for transferring digital games between two consoles, archive software
Nintendo Switch: transfering digital games
With the Nintendo 3DS and the Wii U, if you want to transfer digital games between two consoles, you have no other choice but to call Nintendo support so they can transfer your account. But on Nintendo Switch, the procedure is much faster, and doesn’t require you to contact anyone.
Basically, on Nintendo Switch, a Nintendo Account can be activated on pretty much any console. But there’s a catch: it can only be activated on one console at any time, so you need to deactivate it on the original one. Also, save data files cannot be transfered between two consoles (at least for now).
Finally, you need both consoles with you to perform this transfer, so if you don’t have the original (because you lost it or you sold it), you will need to contact Nintendo for the transfer.
Here’s the steps to transfer games between two Nintendo Switch consoles:
- On the active Nintendo Switch, go to the Nintendo eShop and deactivate the console;
- On the second Nintendo Switch, link your Nintendo Account to a new or existing user account;
- On the second Nintendo Switch, launch the Nintendo eShop with the user your Nintendo Account is linked to, in order to activate it on this system.
And…. that’s it! We told you it was all pretty simple. To check that the transfer was successful, you can head to the Nintendo eShop Account Information page, and check the Active-Console Status.
When transferring games, said games become unplayable on the first system until the Nintendo Account is reactivated there (which is done by following steps 1 to 3 again). On the second system, you can download the games you bought on the first one without having to pay anything, though as mentioned above, you will not be able to keep your save data. But at least, all users on that console will be able to play the games.
If you’re not sure how to deactivate your console, here’s what you have to do:
- head to the Nintendo eShop;
- select the account you want to deactivate;
- tap on the picture of your icon in the upper-right corner to access your Account Information;
- tap on “Active-Console Status.”
- tap on “Deactivate” twice to confirm. You will need to enter your password if your account is set to use one;
NB: you can only deactivate an account one at a time, so you need to repeat the steps listed above if you want to deactivate more than one account.
Source: Nintendo
Nintendo Switch – How to archive games
If you’ve already downloaded the first Firmware update for the Nintendo Switch (Ver. 2.0.0), you can now use a pretty useful feature that lets you archive software. When you archive a game or an app, it’s deleted from the system’s memory, but its icon stays in the Home Menu, and your save data is not deleted.
Here’s how to archive software:
Method 1
- head to the System Settings
- tap on Data Management
- tap on Manage Software
- tap on Archive Software
Method 2
- select the game you want to archive, and select options (or press + / -)
- tap on Manage Software
- tap on Archive Software
Source: Nintendo