New Horizons Addresses Switch 2 Island Transfer

A Nintendo executive confirmed in an interview that Animal Crossing: New Horizons players looking to move their island from the original Switch console to the Switch 2 can easily do a system transfer. However, Nintendo stated that any Animal Crossing: New Horizons data, including islands and game saves, will be removed from the original Switch once the transfer is complete.

Originally released in March 2020, Animal Crossing: New Horizons was launched during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the cozy island game eventually became a way for players to meet up and share their gardening efforts, along with allowing people to host graduation ceremonies and birthday parties. Although Animal Crossing: New Horizons has not received major updates since November 2022, that did not stop it from becoming the second-best-selling Nintendo Switch game, with over 47.44 million copies sold as of February 2025. By comparison, the Switch’s top-selling title, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, has sold over 67.35 million units.

Related

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Player Finds Hilarious Spot for T-Rex Fossil

An Animal Crossing: New Horizons player shares the funny idea they had for a T-Rex fossil on their island, putting it in a perfect spot.

Though the Animal Crossing franchise was absent from the April 2 Nintendo Direct, players can still take all of their efforts with them to the Switch 2. In an interview with Polygon, Nintendo Switch 2 developer Takuhiro Dohta stated that the Switch 2’s system transfer process will leave all save data on the original Switch console, except for the island data from Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Dohta confirmed that the original Switch used as the source for a system transfer would lose the island data, but that it would show up on the Switch 2 exactly as it was.

Nintendo Switch to Switch 2 Transfers Will Carry Over Animal Crossing Island Data

Additionally, the system transfer process will not require downloading another app or using any cloud saves to complete the process. However, players looking to trade in their original Switch for a Switch 2 will not be as fortunate, as the system transfer method only works when the two systems are near each other.

Sufficient storage space on the Switch 2 will also be required, though the console’s built-in 256GB of storage should help. Aside from the Switch to Switch 2 system transfer method, the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Island Transfer app can be used to seamlessly move an island from one original Switch console to another, such as from a Switch Lite to a Switch OLED. Another method utilizes Cloud Save data and a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to transfer an Animal Crossing island between Switch consoles, though it may require contacting Nintendo to download the data safely.

However, it is currently unclear if the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Island Transfer app will be backwards-compatible with the Switch 2. Although Animal Crossing: New Horizons does not have a dedicated Switch 2 Edition at the time of writing, transferring an island to the Switch 2 should still be a relatively simple process.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Systems

9/10

Released

March 20, 2020

ESRB

E for Everyone: Comic Mischief

Developer(s)

Nintendo EPD

Publisher(s)

Nintendo

Engine

Havok