[UPDATE] Nintendo Confirms Animal Crossing: New Horizons Does Not Support Save Transfers, “Back Up Save” Option “Being Considered”

Earlier this week, we reported that Animal Crossing: New Horizons might not support save data transfers between two different Switch consoles.

Since then, the official Japanese site for Animal Crossing: New Horizons has updated to confirm that this is indeed the case. The update spells out in no uncertain terms that users will not be able to transfer their save data from one Switch to another.

Saved data of this software does not support “moving user” or “moving saved data”. Please note that if you purchase a “second unit”, you will not be able to transfer the original island data to another unit.

That said, the site also says that Nintendo is looking into creating some kind of save backup feature linked to Nintendo Switch Online. Notably, the paragraph takes great care to explain this is not the “save data storage” (i.e. cloud save) feature of Nintendo Switch Online, which Nintendo previously said the game would not support.

This software does not support “Save Data Storage” of Nintendo Switch Online, but in case of failure, loss or theft of the Nintendo Switch body, in the original form of this software, we are considering a function to back up save data. Use of this function is limited to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. Correspondence time is undecided. We will notify you as soon as the time is decided.

We will be sure to share more updates on what this alternative backup system will be as they come.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

[UPDATE]: The UK Animal Crossing: New Horizons website has updated with an official English version of these statements:

• This game does not support the Save Data Cloud functionality of Nintendo Switch Online. However, the ability to recover Animal Crossing: New Horizons save data from the server in the event of console failure, loss or theft will be available to Nintendo Switch Online members sometime in the future.
• Animal Crossing: New Horizons does not support the ability to transfer your save file from one Nintendo Switch console to another.