How to Set up and Start Using Your New Nintendo Switch 2 Console
So, you’ve ventured to the pre-order sites , or maybe you just got lucky while waiting in line – either way, you’ve got yourself a Nintendo Switch 2. Congratulations! But before you start playing, there are a few things you’ll need to keep in mind when setting up your console. Nintendo is known for being user-friendly, but it’s also a bit specific. Case in point: you can only do a full Switch 1 to Switch 2 data transfer during setup, and if you miss that opportunity, you’ll have to reset the device to try again, or manually copy your games and save the data in parts later.
Luckily, I’ve got your back. Read on for a quick guide to setting up your Nintendo Switch 2 and three other features you should set up before you start playing.
How to Start Setting Up Your Nintendo Switch 2
In most cases, setting up a new Switch 2 out of the box is straightforward, but you should still take each step carefully before moving forward, especially when it comes to transferring your console data.
First, remove the Switch 2 and the Joy-Con controllers from the packaging. Then, insert the Joy-Con controllers into their respective slots (they’re attached magnetically, so it’s a lot easier than on the original Switch). If you’re not sure which Joy-Con goes where, the one with the red backlight goes on the right side of the screen, and the one with the blue backlight goes on the left.
Then connect the Switch to a power source using the included charger and cable and turn it on. On the following screens, select your language and region, then read and accept the end user license agreement.
You’ll see a screen to connect to the internet and download the console’s day-one system update. This isn’t technically necessary, and skipping it (using the X button on the right joystick) will instead take you to the time zone settings. However, most features will be locked until you download it , including backward compatibility, so I recommend doing this during setup if possible. If you skip this step, you’ll be able to access the update later under Settings > System > System Update .
Once you’re connected to the internet and the update starts downloading, you’ll be able to continue setting up while it’s downloading. Now you’ll need to select your time zone and click through a few pages of instructions. They’ll talk about portable and TV playback, tell you how to use the stand and the extra USB-C port, and walk you through the process of detaching the Joy-Con from the console (press the button on the back of the Joy-Con, underneath the trigger, and pull). You can also click through to an additional guide on connecting the Switch 2 to a TV if you’d like, after which you’ll get quick tutorials on using the included Joy-Con grip accessory and the Joy-Con straps.
If your console hasn’t finished updating yet, it will complete now, and then you’ll have to make your first big decision: do you want to transfer your data from Switch 1 to Switch 2?
Transferring data from Switch 1 to Switch 2
When setting up your Switch 2, Nintendo will let you transfer data from your Switch 1 to your Switch 2, but there are a few caveats.
You’ll know you’re ready once your system update downloads and you’re taken to a screen that says “Nintendo Switch console owners” above an image of a person holding a Switch 1 and Switch 2.
Next to the graph, you’ll see two buttons: “Start system migration,” “Don’t migrate data,” and a third button below that explains the process but leaves out some key details.
Before you decide, the most important thing to remember is that there are actually two ways to transfer data from Switch 1 to Switch 2, and despite what you may have read elsewhere, locally transferring data from Switch 1 to Switch 2 during setup will not reset your original Switch. Unless you’ve taken extra steps beforehand, this is the option Nintendo’s setup process will recommend, so most users won’t have to worry about accidentally erasing their original consoles.
If you stick with a local transfer, it will simply copy your data to your Switch 2, so it will exist on both systems. There are a few specific cases where some data will be deleted from your original device when it’s moved to your new one, but in most cases, you’ll be able to continue using your original device as normal after the transfer, and there are ways to get that data back later (I’ll cover that). Just be aware that save data for certain games, as well as some free games, may have been deleted from your Switch 1 and moved to your Switch 2. Don’t worry — Nintendo will warn you about what software will be affected during the transfer process. Additionally, screenshots and video footage stored on the microSD card connected to the Switch 1 will need to be manually transferred later.
How to migrate Switch 1 data locally
With that in mind, if you want to transfer your data locally (which is what most people should do), click the Start Data Transfer button and follow the instructions. To do this, sign in to your Nintendo Account, turn on the source Switch console and place it in close proximity to the Switch 2, and enable data transfer on the source Switch console under Settings > System Settings > Transfer System Data to Nintendo Switch 2 .
How to Transfer Switch 1 Data Using Nintendo Servers
The confusion over factory resets comes from this transfer option, which involves using Nintendo’s servers. This will reset your Switch to factory settings, and is best if you plan on selling it anyway, or if you don’t expect to have access to your original Switch while you set up the Switch 2 and don’t mind setting up your original console from scratch when you return to it. To begin this type of transfer, turn on your original Switch, go to the System Transfer page mentioned above, then select I don’t have a Nintendo Switch 2 yet. Note the Download deadline for later. Conveniently, this points out one benefit of this method: you can start it before you even have your Switch 2 in hand.
Now click Next , then Upload Data , then OK , then OK again. Click Start Initialization to begin resetting your original Switch to factory settings.
From here, your original Switch will be back to the way it was before you bought it, and you’ll need to go to Switch 2, click Begin System Transfer , and sign in to your Nintendo Account. If the system detects that you have data to transfer from the cloud, it will walk you through the process. However, note that if you don’t download the data to transfer by the deadline you noted earlier, you’ll lose access to it.
If you want to skip the data transfer process…
If you don’t want to transfer data, that’s fine too, but you won’t have the option to do so later and will instead have to manually transfer games and save data. Click the Don’t Transfer Data button, then Continue to move to the next step.
Adding a user and parental control
With the system transfer complete, you’ve completed the hardest part of setting up your new console. Now you’ll be prompted to add a user to the system. Here, you can sign in with your Nintendo Account to access your Switch Online subscription and collection of downloadable games, or create a local user profile. After that, you can add more users as you see fit, or save this for later (just go to System Settings > User > Add User ).
Next up, parental controls. As with additional users, you can set these up later in System Settings > Parental Controls , but there’s no harm in setting them up now. To do this, click Set up parental controls .
You’ll have a few options. Most will ask you to use Nintendo’s Parental Controls app, but you can also press the X button on the right Joy-Con to set up limited parental controls directly on the console. This will let you choose from a range of presets that will block access to certain games and communication features, but nothing more. Using the app, meanwhile, will let you set daily playtime limits, bedtime settings, restrictions on the new GameChat feature , and view playtime and gameplay reports. It also doesn’t require a Switch Online subscription, so it’s worth using if you have a smart device.
To set up parental controls using the app, first download it for iOS or Android using the information on the screen, then tap the If you’ve already downloaded the app button. Enter the registration code from your app into the Switch 2 system, then follow the in-app instructions to complete setup . Which buttons you need to press will depend on the controls you want to enable and for which users and systems, but it’s pretty straightforward.
MicroSD Card Limitations
A couple more screens. First, a quick warning about microSD cards. Unlike the Switch 1, the Switch 2 is only compatible with microSD Express cards, which are faster but also a bit limited in what they can do – in other words, there’s a good chance you won’t be able to use the same microSD card from your Switch 1 on your Switch 2. To use a microSD card on the Switch 2, you’ll need one of the two logos shown in the image below. It’s a bit of a shame, but at least the microSD card is optional (it will help you store more games, but the Switch 2’s built-in storage is more generous than the Switch 1’s).
Oh, and like the Switch 1, the microSD slot is hidden under the kickstand, in case you have trouble finding it.
Virtual game cards
Technically, you’re done setting up, but there are a few more features you’ll probably want to set up before you start playing. The most obvious is Virtual Game Cards, Nintendo’s new system for managing games purchased digitally.
Essentially, as the name suggests, they work similarly to physical game cards, but over the internet. This means that, unlike your Steam library, you can only download a game to one console at a time. Nintendo calls this a “download,” but for the most part, it just means your game is downloaded and ready to play. ( Technically , you can still play the same game on two separate consoles at the same time, but doing so is a bit silly — click here for more details .)
To access your virtual game cards, click on the virtual game card icon in the bottom row of the Switch 2 home screen – it will look like a game cartridge. From here, if you’re signed in to your Nintendo Account, you’ll see all your digital purchases and be able to download and play them from here. If you’re not signed in to your Nintendo Account, you’ll have the option to do so.
Now you’ll have a few options. First, if the game isn’t downloaded on your original Switch, you can simply download it to Switch 2 without any problems by clicking Load to This Console . If the console isn’t set as your primary device (it probably wasn’t if you didn’t transfer), you may see a warning when you try to open the game, but you can click the If You Don’t Have That Console button to download your game anyway. It will simply stop being playable on the other console while you’re using it on this one, though this always happens when moving a virtual game card between systems. However, you can always change your primary device later by deregistering your original device and connecting the Switch 2 to the eShop. This won’t be necessary for easy access to your library, but it will extend any Nintendo Online benefits to all users on that device, rather than the one linked to your Nintendo Account.
Alternatively, if you have access to your old console and it’s nearby and turned on, you can link it to your new one to transfer your digital game directly to it, without having to re-download it from the internet. You’ll need to be in close proximity to do this, and you can only have two consoles linked at a time (though you can freely unlink and link consoles as needed). Once this is set up, click “Download to this console” on the system you want to move the virtual game card to to get started. Transferring a game this way will also remove access to that game from the old device, and if you want, you can start the process from the device transferring the game by going to the desired virtual game card on it and clicking “Download to another console.”
How to lend a virtual game card to someone else
You’ll also notice that you can lend a virtual game card to members of a “Family Group.” To do this, you’ll first need to set up a Family Group online . On the Nintendo website, sign in to your Nintendo Account, then click the Family Group tab on the left side of your account page. Here, you can invite members to join your Family Group via email or create a Family Group account for your child. Note that if you have a Nintendo Switch Online Family Plan subscription, members of your Family Group will be able to use its benefits (for up to eight accounts), although accounts that are part of your Family Group can also use their individual subscriptions.
Once you’ve set up your family group, on the Virtual Game Card page, select the game you want to lend, then “Lend to a Family Group Member.” Then bring your Switch 2 within close proximity of that family group member’s device—you’ll need to do this in person.
Finally, click “Select User to Borrow.” You can lend up to three games to three different accounts at a time, and borrowers will be able to play those games for 14 days. During that time, you won’t be able to play the game card, and the borrower won’t have access to your save data while you’re borrowing. However, they’ll keep their own save data for the next loan period or if they decide to buy the game themselves. There’s no limit to how often you can lend a game, and you can re-borrow games immediately after the loan period ends. Also, while you’ll need to lend your games in person, they’ll be returned to you remotely.
Transferring saved data
Even if you didn’t transfer your Switch 1 data to Switch 2 during setup, you can still access your saved data on the new device. You have a few options here.
First, the free option. On your original Switch, go to System Settings > Data Management > Saved Data Transfer . Click Send Data to Another Console , then select the user whose saves you want to send to your Switch 2. Select the saves you want to send, then click OK . Note that these saves will be deleted from your original console after the move.
Then, with Switch 2 in close proximity to Switch 1 (this also needs to be done in person), go to System Settings > Data Management > Transfer Saved Data . Click Get Saved Data .
To transfer data from Switch 2 to Switch 1, simply reverse these steps.
Second, the paid option. If you have a Nintendo Switch Online membership, you can also use Cloud Saves to move save data between devices. By default, these are automatically enabled and will keep both your systems up to date with the latest saves. However, you can also manually download Cloud Saves from either the game’s software menu (press the + or – while hovering over it on the Switch home screen) or from System Settings > Data Management > Save Data Cloud . You can also disable automatic save data downloads here if you prefer.
Lock your home screen with a password
Finally, you can lock your Switch 2 with a PIN for added security, just like a mobile phone. To set this up, simply go to Settings > System > Console Lock . Click OK, then follow the instructions on the pop-up screen to enter your PIN.
There’s a lot more to dive into with the Switch 2, which I’ll be covering next week. But for now, this should be enough to get you started. Enjoy!