Nintendo Switch Game Saves are Stored on the Console, Can't Be Transferred

Lizzy Finnegan

New member
Mar 11, 2015
1,650
0
0
Nintendo Switch Game Saves are Stored on the Console, Can't Be Transferred

Game save files will stay with the console, cannot be transferred to microSDXC card.

The Nintendo Switch has 32GB of storage, some of which is reserved for use by the system, however the internal memory can be expanded with the addition of a microSDXC card. By default, everything is stored to the internal memory, although you can choose to store data like digital games, updates, and DLC on the microSDXC card.

However, game save data is only able to be stored on the system itself. We already knew all of this, but now we know that game save data is not able to be transferred from the system to the microSDXC card (thanks, IGN [http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/03/02/nintendo-switch-save-data-stored-internally-only-cannot-currently-be-transferred]). The biggest concern with this is, if something were to happen to a player's console, there is no way for them to access their in-progress game should they need to get a replacement.

We've reached out to Nintendo for comment, and will update this post should we receive a response.

The Nintendo Switch releases tomorrow, March 3, for $299.

[gallery=7008]



Permalink
 

sneakypenguin

Elite Member
Legacy
Jul 31, 2008
2,804
0
41
Country
usa
So no cloud saves?!?! I'm pretty sure even my old xbox 360 had cloud saves, steam has had cloud saves for who knows how long. Makes things convenient as hell. Just have to log onto someones xbox one then boom all your games and saves available right there. This also means that when your console goes tits up that your SOL on any games and have to start over.

This switch thing is just weird, so much stuff that you would just assume is a default feature is just absent. Like going to a burger joint and finding they don't have toppings or fries or any drinks.
 

American Tanker

New member
Feb 25, 2015
563
0
0
sneakypenguin said:
So no cloud saves?!?! I'm pretty sure even my old xbox 360 had cloud saves, steam has had cloud saves for who knows how long. Makes things convenient as hell. Just have to log onto someones xbox one then boom all your games and saves available right there. This also means that when your console goes tits up that your SOL on any games and have to start over.

This switch thing is just weird, so much stuff that you would just assume is a default feature is just absent. Like going to a burger joint and finding they don't have toppings or fries or any drinks.
360 and PS3 both had cloud saves as an option.
 

Vausch

New member
Dec 7, 2009
1,476
0
0
I'd give it a day before someone figures out and releases a how to video on making the saves go to the SD card or finds a way to back them up somewhere else.
 

gillnavisingh

Stick a Cupca- AUGH!
Jan 13, 2010
58
0
0
Nintendo has said that My Nintendo will be a platform for Cloud Saves.

It's likely that Cloud Saves are coming before any warranty expires.

Not to mention, neither 360 or PS3 had cloud saves at launch. It's hardly worth getting pissed off over since chamges WILL be coming soon.
 

major_chaos

Ruining videogames
Feb 3, 2011
1,314
0
0
Somewhere between the complete technical incompetence of the thing and the big day one system seller looking absolutely 110% unenjoyable to me personally "I'll pick up a Switch in a few months" turned into "I might pick up a Switch in 2 years when the price drops"
 

Casual Shinji

Should've gone before we left.
Legacy
Jul 18, 2009
19,570
4,374
118
008Zulu said:
Nintendo isn't about just dropping the ball, they are all about stomping it flat.
In order to do so wouldn't they need to know the ball even exists?

This is yet another example of Nintendo inhabiting somekind of bizarro plain of existence.
 

loa

New member
Jan 28, 2012
1,716
0
0
But it uses cartridges.
Why not put the savegame on those like they have done for decades?
 

JohnnyDelRay

New member
Jul 29, 2010
1,322
0
0
loa said:
But it uses cartridges.
Why not put the savegame on those like they have done for decades?
I was just gonna say this. It was even a selling point to me for getting a 3DS. Bad enough the store purchases are console locked (well, not quite, but a pain to transfer), but a reason to buy cartridges rather than digital.

On the topic at hand, what other basic features are the leaving out of the Switch? Thing doesn't have a browser, you need to use your damn mobile device to connect to servers, now you can't even back up saves. Can you even charge the controller while you play?
 

votemarvel

Elite Member
Legacy
Nov 29, 2009
1,353
3
43
Country
England
gillnavisingh said:
Not to mention, neither 360 or PS3 had cloud saves at launch. It's hardly worth getting pissed off over since changes WILL be coming soon.
The 360 did have the option to move saves between storage devices at launch though.

That changes are coming does not forgive what the Switch is offering now.

Depending on the game, save files can be quite large in size. Without the option to move files to a different storage device players could find themselves having to decide what save history gets deleted. The Cloud is a viable alternative but at the same time I have been left without internet access on occasion and could pull local copies of saves from a memory card.

I can see why they don't want to allow you to move the saves off the system memory, it will greatly reduce the chance of save modding after all, but at the same time it is going to increase the desire of people to hack into the system itself.