Nintendo has announced that Animal Crossing: New Horizons will feature an alternative method of backing up save data in the future and that save data will not be able to be transferred to a second Nintendo Switch console.
The news comes from an article on the official Japanese Nintendo website, which was then translated thanks to Australian Nintendo news site Vooks and Twitter user Alex Aniel.
According to the translated article, while New Horizons will not support Nintendo Switch Online cloud saves as previously reported, Nintendo is working into a “customized” method of securing your save data in the event of a lost or broken Switch; however, it will be limited only to Nintendo Switch Online members and the “timing of implementation is undecided.”
“This game does not support Nintendo Switch Online Cloud Saves, but we are currently looking into a customized method for backing save data up that will be specific to this game in the event that your Nintendo Switch is damaged or lost. This function will be limited to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. The timing of implementation is undecided and will be announced as soon as it is finalized.”
The article also explicitly states that transferring New Horizons save data to another Nintendo Switch console is not possible, meaning if you purchase a second Nintendo Switch system, you will not be able to continue to play with your original save data on it.
“This game does not support User Migration or Save Data Migration functionalities. If you purchase a second Nintendo Switch, you will not be able to move your original island to the other unit.”
Twitter user Chris Becker has also discovered that the Animal Crossing: New Horizons listing on the Nintendo eShop is live in both Japan and the UK with a note that Save Data Cloud support is “pending” on the latter:
Animal Crossing New Horizons is live on the Uk and Japanese eShop. It says Support Status Pending..No idea what it says on the Japanese eShop. #AnimalCrossingNewHorizons pic.twitter.com/Jdvt3qMvOo
— Chris Becker (@SuperNintendad) February 6, 2020
Animal Crossing: New Horizons launches worldwide on March 20th, 2020.
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Written by Daniel Dell-Cornejo
Daniel is an editor at Nintendo Wire. Always with his head in the clouds, he is never apart from his creative thoughts – a blessing for an aspiring fiction writer. As a journalist and lifelong gamer, he aims to provide readers with the very best in Nintendo coverage.
