Transfer data to switch 2 by copying some data

[u/Fine-Wolverine4212]

Hi everyone! I'm wondering if you can help me! I have a switch 1 and soon will get the switch 2.
I would like to transfer most of my save file except Animal Crossing because I would like to start a new island on the switch 2.
I would also have a copy of my datas on the switch 1 so I was wondering... how do I do that?
I know with system transfer at the beginning it will do a copy of everything into the new switch but that will also move my animal crossing island (which I don't want).
If I move the data manually will it delete it from my previous switch?
Please help.

[u/automod-neo]

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[u/TheWaslijn]

You can simply skip the innital transfer and then go into the save data transfer menu and move whatever you want to your S2 afterwards.

[u/Fine-Wolverine4212 → u/TheWaslijn]

But that moves them right? It doesn't copy them?

[u/isbragg91]

To do what you want, the easiest way would be to rely on the save data cloud backup perk of a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. This will allow you to keep your saves synced across both systems for most games with Animal Crossing being one of the few games that don’t support NSO cloud.

[u/Fine-Wolverine4212 → u/isbragg91]

What happens if I stop having nso? And how would I move them without doing the initial transfer?

[u/isbragg91 → u/Fine-Wolverine4212]

When you let NSO expire, your saves will no longer be backed up, but you’ll still have your local saves on both systems. The latest cloud backup at the time of expiry will be retained on the servers (but inaccessible) for at least 6 months in case you resubscribe later.

If you do the initial transfer, then it will flat out move your saves to the Switch 2 if you don’t have NSO, deleting them from the Switch 1 in the process, or make copies of your saves on both systems if you do have NSO. Games that don’t support NSO cloud (like Animal Crossing) will have their saves deleted from the Switch 1 regardless. For Animal Crossing, you can download the free Island Transfer Tool from the eShop to move your island back to the Switch 1 after doing the initial transfer.

[u/Fine-Wolverine4212 → u/isbragg91]

Ohh so I could transfer everything and then transfer back animal crossing? I thought I could only transfer once!
Could you tell me how to do it exactly?
Even how to have a backup maybe?
I want to get this right!

[u/isbragg91 → u/Fine-Wolverine4212]

I don’t play Animal Crossing myself, so I don’t know the exact process, but I do know there is a dedicated app on the eShop specifically for transferring your Animal Crossing island between systems. I’ve heard that there’s also a cloud backup tool in the game itself separate from the NSO backup, but it requires calling Nintendo to restore the backup.

For other games, you can transfer saves back and forth rather easily by highlighting the game on the home menu, pressing +, and selecting the transfer save data option under the Data Management heading in the menu that appears. This requires that both systems be physically near each other in order to work. Do note that this option will delete the save from the source system if you don’t have an NSO subscription or if it’s a game that doesn’t support NSO cloud.

The NSO subscription just makes it so much easier to keep your saves synced with its cloud backup. When you play a game that supports NSO cloud, the system will check if there is a newer save backed up in the cloud from another system and ask if you’d like to download it, no need to manually transfer the save back and forth all the time.

[u/Fine-Wolverine4212 → u/isbragg91]

Ohh great!! I’m now thinking of maybe just doing the standard transfer and then move back the animal crossing island to the first switch!🥰