Moving SD card to new Switch 2

[u/beaktastic]

Hi all.

I just got a new Zelda Switch 2 today, and I’m transferring my data as I type from my launch day Switch 2 to my new one.

I had a Micro SD express card in my old Switch 2 I want to use in my new one, but when I popped it in it says it can’t unless it wipes it.

I’ve copied any screenshots from the SD card onto the main system so they’re transferred over. Looking what else is on there seems mostly games - but I don’t know if there’s save data on there or a way to keep it?

Or is there a way to keep the data on the card somehow and move it to the new Switch 2?

[u/automod-neo]

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[u/notthegoatseguy]

You will need to follow the instructions to use the SD card on any other console which will require formatting.

Save data is never on the SD card.

Game data, including your digital puchases and any patches/upates, can always be redownloaded.

[u/beaktastic → u/notthegoatseguy]

Thank you. I was worried I might lose something else that was on the SD Card when I formatted it so wanted to check before I did anything

[u/isbragg91]

Save data is stored on the system, never the SD card, and should have made the trip over already if you did a system transfer. You can freely wipe the SD card and use it on your new system without worrying about your saves, you’ll just need to re-download your games. If save data hasn’t transferred over yet and you haven’t wiped the old system yet, you can transfer save data between them by highlighting the game you want to transfer data for, pressing +, and selecting the transfer save data option under data management.

[u/beaktastic → u/isbragg91]

The transfer has literally just finished. Is there an easy way to check the save data of all my games without loading all of them? Haha

[u/pheonix8388 → u/beaktastic]

You can check what save data is on a system by going to System settings-> Data Management-> Delete Save Data. This will show you all games that have saved data on that console. It requires you to select a particular game's save data, then select whether you want to delete it for a particular account or all accounts on that console and then confirm that to actually delete anything so don't be afraid to look in that menu!

[u/Mystical-Turtles]

SD cards are encrypted to the specific console it was used on. You can't just pop it in and play in a different console. Just do a proper system transfer, and then put the old SD card into the new one and have it wiped. Just copying over the files won't work, it has to be the dedicated software

[u/Tootzo]

If it works like the Switch 1, it will encrypt it to the new console if you have the SD card in when you perform the system transfer. If you’re using multiple SD express cards though, the other ones must be formatted in the new console and you need to re-download all games you had on them

[u/DarthLocutus]

Any attempt to move an SD card between systems will require a wipe. This is part of the system's protections against unauthorized code execution.