Animal Crossing: New Horizons Island Transfer Simplified with Nintendo Switch 2 Launch

Nintendo has confirmed that transferring your Animal Crossing: New Horizons island to the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 will be significantly easier than before, responding to community feedback on complicated island migration processes.

As the highly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 prepares for global release on June 5, 2025—with pricing set at £395.99 in the UK, €469.99 in Europe, and $449.99 in the United States—players have been eager to learn how their treasured islands and save files will make the move to the next-generation console. Historically, moving an Animal Crossing: New Horizons island from one Nintendo Switch to another was complicated, requiring players to use the dedicated Island Transfer Tool, a process many found unnecessarily complex.

Nintendo has listened to this feedback and is making the transition smoother for all players upgrading to Nintendo Switch 2. With the new console, transferring your entire Nintendo Switch system, including your Animal Crossing: New Horizons save data, is now as simple as a system-wide migration.

Unlike the previous method, players will not need the Island Transfer Tool.

Instead, a complete system transfer will move all relevant save data, including your unique Animal Crossing island, from the Nintendo Switch to the Switch 2 in one streamlined operation.

In an interview with Polygon, Takuhiro Dohta, Senior Director at Nintendo's Entertainment Planning and Development Department, clarified the process: Perform a system transfer, and all save data remains on your original Nintendo Switch until the migration is completed.

The Animal Crossing: New Horizons island, however, migrates entirely, moving off the old console and onto the Nintendo Switch 2.

This is a one-time transfer, reflecting Nintendo's security measures to prevent duplication or exploitation. Players intending to trade in their Nintendo Switch consoles are advised to first use the cloud backup feature.

This ensures that all save data, including progress in games such as Animal Crossing: New Horizons, will be securely transferred and available upon setup of the Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo has maintained strict control over save data for titles like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and the Pokémon series, specifically to prevent item duplication or save reloading exploits.

This protective approach continues with the Switch 2 transfer system, ensuring the integrity of players' progress while adapting to the platform's evolving capabilities. With the Nintendo Switch 2’s streamlined transfer system, Nintendo addresses a longstanding source of player frustration, helping ensure a smooth transition for fans ready to set up their island life on new hardware.

Nintendo Switch 2 Nintendo Switch Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch 2 Animal Crossing: New Horizons Switch Takuhiro Dohta Polygon