Do I lose my games if I sell my Switch?
The answer to this question is no, you do not lose your digital games if you sell your Nintendo Switch, as they are tied to your Nintendo Account and can be redownloaded from the eShop on any new Switch console with your account logged in. Your game saves are also stored on the console’s System Memory, but they can be transferred to a new Switch console, ensuring that you don’t lose your progress.
Understanding Game Ownership on Nintendo Switch
To delve deeper into the specifics of game ownership and transfer on the Nintendo Switch, let’s explore some frequently asked questions that can provide clarity on the process.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do I keep my digital games if I sell my Switch?
Yes, your digital games are tied to your Nintendo Account, allowing you to redownload them on any new Switch console.
2. Will I lose everything if I take a game out of my Switch?
No, deleting or archiving software will not impact your save data, and once deleted, software can be redownloaded using the same Nintendo Account with which it was purchased.
3. Can you sell games you bought on Switch?
No, you cannot sell or share digital games you purchased on Nintendo Switch, as they are tied to your system.
4. Can I transfer my Nintendo Switch games to another Switch?
Yes, you can transfer your Nintendo Account and digital games to a different Nintendo Switch console and make that console your account’s primary console.
5. Will my games save if I get a new Switch?
Yes, if you have a new console that you intend to use instead of your old console, you can transfer your user and save data to the new console.
6. Do Switch games save to card?
No, game save data is stored on the console’s System Memory and cannot be saved or copied to a microSD card.
7. Will I lose my Pokémon if I get a new Switch?
No, you can move your data and usage history from the old device to the new device, but you must have linked Pokémon HOME to a Nintendo Account on your old device.
8. Do I have to buy Switch games twice?
No, purchases made using a Nintendo Account can be redownloaded and played on any Nintendo Switch console it is linked to.
9. How do I clean my Nintendo Switch to sell?
To clean your Nintendo Switch for sale, you should initialize the console, which will delete all data in the system memory.
10. Do you get your money back when you delete a game on Nintendo Switch?
No, refunds or exchanges for downloaded games or DLC are not provided for mistaken purchases or if you don’t like the game.
11. Are Switch games tied to the console?
Yes, purchases on the Nintendo Switch eShop are tied to the Nintendo Account that made the purchase, and you can register one primary console per Nintendo Account.
12. Can you keep digital games forever?
Yes, as long as you have access to the account that you bought the game on, you have permanent access to that game, meaning digital copies of games do not expire.
13. Can you give someone your digital Switch game?
Yes, you can share a digital copy of a game with a friend across different Switch consoles, as long as you have a digital copy of the game in your account.
14. Can I copy Switch games to SD card?
Yes, you can transfer game data from the system memory to the microSD card through the Data Management option in System Settings.
15. Is it better to store games on Switch or SD card?
System memory loads the fastest, so it’s recommended to store games that load a lot on system memory, while the SD card is the second fastest and physical cartridge is the slowest.