If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

SD cards cannot be shared between Nintendo Switch consoles

You can't use your micro SD card in more than one Nintendo Switch console, unless you're wiling to wipe everything from the card.

nintendo_switch_new_6

Once you insert an SD card into a Nintendo Switch console, the system will start storing downloadable games on it and any other data - except save files, this much is known.

But what we didn't know is that you won't be able to transfer the contents of a microSD to any other Switch console. Polygon tried inserting an SD card that's been in use with another Switch, and was greeted with a message that reads:

"The microSD card is being used by another Nintendo Switch console or was used on this console before it was initialised. Delete the Nintendo Switch data on the microSD card to use it on this console.

"Save data, screenshots, and other data not related to Nintendo Switch won’t be deleted. You can remove the microSD card if you don’t want to use it on this console."

It's interesting Nintendo mentioned "save data" here as being among the items that won't be lost. Right now, save files cannot be transferred to an an SD card, whereas screenshots and game files can.

Although this particular limitation is not entirely surprising, it'll likely still disappoint those who thought they'd be able to to transfer games across systems without the need for re-downloading.

Sign in and unlock a world of features

Get access to commenting, homepage personalisation, newsletters, and more!

Related topics
About the Author
Sherif Saed avatar

Sherif Saed

Contributor

Sherif (he/him) is VG247’s go-to shooter and Souls-likes person. Whether it’s news, reviews, or op-eds – Sherif is always eager to tell you about video games. He's one of VG247's most veteran writers, with 10+ years experience on the site.

Comments