Can you have two islands on one Switch with two games?

The answer to this question is no, you cannot have two islands on one Nintendo Switch with two games, as the island save data is saved on the Nintendo Switch system, not the game cartridge, and each system is limited to one island. This means that even if you have multiple copies of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you will still only be able to create and store one island per Switch.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

1. Can you have 2 different islands on the same Switch? No, you can only create one island per Nintendo Switch system, even if you use multiple games, as the island save data is saved on the Nintendo Switch system.
2. Will I lose my Animal Crossing island if I get a new Switch? If you have enabled island backup, you will be able to restore the last saved version of your island and all residents on a replacement Nintendo Switch console.
3. Can you play Animal Crossing on two Switches with one game? Yes, but you won’t be able to play both at the same time since the game will detect if the same profile is being used and will kick out the non-primary console.

Game Progress and Data

4. Will I lose my game progress if I get a new Switch? Your save data will be deleted on the source console, so to play games with your latest save data on multiple systems, you’ll need to transfer the save data each time you use a different console.
5. Do you need two copies of Animal Crossing for two Switches? They need their own Switch to get their own island, but only need a 2nd copy of the game if you bought it digital or if they want to play at the same time.
6. Do I have to buy 2 copies of Animal Crossing? You can play with one digital copy of the game on both systems, as long as one Switch is set as the primary console.

Island Management

7. How to have 2 islands on one Switch? You can only create one island per Nintendo Switch system, even if you use multiple games, and a different system is required to create a different island.
8. Can you have multiple files in Animal Crossing? Animal Crossing: New Horizons limited players to a single save file, but they deserve at least two in order to replay the game and enjoy its features.
9. 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.

Technical Questions

10. Is Switch OLED worth it? The Nintendo Switch OLED improves many aspects of the original model, and if you don’t have a Nintendo Switch, then it’s definitely worth it for a small jump in price.
11. Can I save Switch games to SD card? Yes, you can transfer game data from the system memory to the microSD card by going to System Settings > Data Management > Move Data Between System/microSD Card.
12. Can you recover data from a dead Switch? Recovery is only available in situations where the source (original) Nintendo Switch system is no longer available, and a new or repaired Nintendo Switch system is required.

Game Specific Questions

13. Can you have the same villager on your island twice? Yes, you can theoretically have the same villager multiple times in a row.
14. How do you restart Animal Crossing without losing items? You can visit a friend’s island and drop off any items you want to keep, then start your new game and re-add them as a friend to retrieve your items.
15. Does the Animal Crossing game end? No, there’s really no such thing as ‘completing’ Animal Crossing: New Horizons, as the game is designed to be open-ended and allow players to continue playing and customizing their island indefinitely.