Can I Buy a Second Animal Crossing Game for the Same Switch?

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The answer to the question Can I buy a second animal crossing game for the same Switch? is no, you cannot have two separate Animal Crossing games on the same Nintendo Switch system, as the game’s save data is stored on the console, not the cartridge, resulting in only one possible island per Switch. Purchasing a second copy of the game will not allow you to create a new island on the same Switch, but you can share the cartridge with a friend or use it on a different Switch to create a new island.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

1. Can I have two Animal Crossing games on one device? The game saves to the system, not the cartridge, so no matter how many copies of the game you buy, you still only get one island per Switch, unless you have a cartridge version and a digital download of Animal Crossing.
2. Do I need to buy 2 copies of Animal Crossing? You can have up to 8 users on a single Nintendo Switch console with a single copy of the game, all of whom can share a single island, but if you want to play on a different Switch, you will need a separate copy of the game.
3. How many people can play together? Up to 4 inhabitants can play on the same island, but each player needs a controller.

Game Sharing and Transfer

4. Can you use the same Animal Crossing game card on different Switches? Yes, the island saves to the Switch rather than the cartridge, so you can have an island for each Switch.
5. Can I play games you bought on one Switch on another? You can play digital games that you’ve purchased with your Nintendo Account on any Nintendo Switch console, but other players will not be able to access your digital games on a non-primary console.
6. Can I get a digital copy of a game I already own on Switch? You can purchase and download a digital copy of a physical game you own, but the physical game does not give you rights to a free digital copy.

Save Data and Island Transfer

7. Do I have to buy Animal Crossing again if I get a new Switch? You can transfer your save data for Animal Crossing: New Horizons to a new Nintendo Switch system after updating the game software to the latest version.
8. Can you share an Animal Crossing cartridge? Game save data is stored on the Switch’s internal memory, so you can share your cartridge with a friend, and when they put your cartridge into their console, it will be a fresh new game.
9. How do you start a second game on Animal Crossing? To start a new game, you will need to delete your save data for Animal Crossing: New Horizons from your system.

Digital Games and Accounts

10. Are eShop games tied to account? 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.
11. What happens when you buy a Switch game digitally? Once you’ve completed your purchase, your game will automatically download to the system associated with your Nintendo Account.
12. Can 2 Nintendo Switches play the same game at the same time? You can’t play the same game at the same time on both consoles with the same account on both Switch.

Game Progress and Restarting

13. Will I lose my game progress if I get a new Switch? Your save data will be deleted on the source console, so you will need to transfer your save data to the new Switch to keep your game progress.
14. How to transfer Animal Crossing island from one Switch to another? You can use the Island Transfer Tool for Animal Crossing: New Horizons to transfer your island to a new Switch.
15. Is it worth it to restart Animal Crossing: New Horizons? It’s entirely up to you and if you’re willing to sacrifice what you’ve built, as restarting the game will delete your save data and start a new island from scratch.