I want to buy a switch to have a second island and I had some questions. Since I have the digital version of the game, can I have both switches on the same Nintendo account? Can both download New Horizons and have separate islands? If so, will there be any problems if I switch between them when going online? If I enable island backup, will one island's backup override the other island's? Thanks!
So I have two switches and two islands and can answer a few of these:
1. You can have both islands on one Nintendo Account and if you have a digital copy, you can download it to both Switches. However, you can only play offline from the primary switch. You have to be connected to the internet on the secondary Switch in order to play.
2. You cannot play on both Switches at the same time with only one purchased copy of the game. So if you want to visit your other island, you must have a second copy of the game.
3. You can have both islands backed up as far as I know. But if you need to restore either one, you have to contact Nintendo.
As I said, I have two Switches and two islands. My original Switch has my original island with my son living on it and I gave it to him (and he will get the Switch for Xmas) because he loves the museum and would have too much difficulty completing it himself at this age (5). He has the physical card copy of the game so he can play online or off.
My new Switch has been converted to the primary console and I bought the digital copy so that I could go back to the original island and raid my storage and flower hybrids. No one else has a user profile on that one, but a helpful hint. On your primary island, if you need bells fast, buy turnips on Sunday morning and TT the other switch until you have a turnip spike and then just buy and sell between them until you have as much as you want. That's how I got my new island upgraded to the state of my old island quickly and in time for the update.
Yes, as long as you have a second copy of the game. With one, I think you can (as long as you are the only one playing) but I can't confirm......I just know you can't hop between your two islands with only one copy of the game.
As I said, I have two Switches and two islands. My original Switch has my original island with my son living on it and I gave it to him (and he will get the Switch for Xmas) because he loves the museum and would have too much difficulty completing it himself at this age (5). He has the physical card copy of the game so he can play online or off.
My new Switch has been converted to the primary console and I bought the digital copy so that I could go back to the original island and raid my storage and flower hybrids. No one else has a user profile on that one, but a helpful hint. On your primary island, if you need bells fast, buy turnips on Sunday morning and TT the other switch until you have a turnip spike and then just buy and sell between them until you have as much as you want. That's how I got my new island upgraded to the state of my old island quickly and in time for the update.
Wait, do you have two copies of the game in order to play each simultaneously? Lol, nevermind, question answered. Maybe I'll find a good Black Friday deal for a second copy!
Yes, both my Switches are linked to my one account/email. But one has to be set as the primary switch (so all digital purchases are downloadable and playable online and offline and by any users linked to my account - I have a family account).
The secondary switch can download the digital purchases but only the account holder can play them and only online (and never at the same time as the primary switch). So on my secondary, my son has a user profile, but he can't seem to play the digital downloads at all and needs to use my profile to play any of them online. That's why I gave him the physical copy of ACNH, so he can play on his profile on the secondary switch.
The secondary switch can download the digital purchases but only the account holder can play them and only online (and never at the same time as the primary switch). So on my secondary, my son has a user profile, but he can't seem to play the digital downloads at all and needs to use my profile to play any of them online.
What do you mean by "digital downloads"? Do you mean the DLC/updates?
And, to make sure I'm clear- are you saying I can access them on the second switch, provided the profile is connected to the Nintendo account?
Sorry to bother you with so many questions, I've never had two islands before and I'm paranoid I'll do something wrong and mess up my main island... but is that even possible?
EDIT: Also, how do you check which Switch is "primary"?
Am I the only one who finds this all really complicated? I didn't even attempt to transfer my island to the new Switch......I thought about it but wanted to leave my son a completed museum and truth be told, I got scared of the process......so I hyped myself up to pick an ideal island with features I wanted (and didn't know when I started the first one)......and just started a new one with resources from the original. Haha!
What do you mean by "digital downloads"? Do you mean the DLC/updates?
And, to make sure I'm clear- are you saying I can access them on the second switch, provided the profile is connected to the Nintendo account?
Sorry to bother you with so many questions, I've never had two islands before and I'm paranoid I'll do something wrong and mess up my main island... but is that even possible?
EDIT: Also, how do you check which Switch is "primary"?
No problem at all! I'm happy to help how I can because it IS really confusing.
When I say digital download, I mean a purchased copy from the Nintendo eShop, rather than a physical game card.
With a physical game card, you can play on any Switch but since there is only one, you can only play on one console at a time.
With the digital copy, you can download to any Switch that is linked to your Nintendo Account......but as I said, only the primary console can play online and off. On the secondary console, only the user that purchased the game can play it and only online. No two switches can play the same digital copy at the same time. Other users attached to the secondary console cannot play digital games unless they were the purchaser but other users attached to the primary console can.
For one digital purchase of ACNH, downloaded to both systems, only one Switch may play at one time)
Switch 1(primary)________Switch 2.
Yes_____________________Yes (online only)________My user profile (account holder)
Yes_____________________No____________________My son's user profile (part of my family account)
For consoles, your first switch linked to your Nintendo Account is the primary. If you would like to change it to your second switch, you need to go into your account from your switch and "deregister" it as the primary. Once you do that, the next Switch that you link to your account will automatically be assigned the primary and your first Switch will then be assigned the secondary.
EDIT: (I tried to make a better visual in a table but it doesn't seem to be aligning well)
