A new console arrives with a quiet question at its first startup: whether to carry forward the record of an older machine, a choice that closes once the first days of play have passed. Much of what follows is a matter of small, practical care, such as protecting a battery that slowly tires with use, honoring the gear and games people already own, and planning for the growing appetite of modern games. Taken together, these modest decisions show how a new tool is folded into an existing life, where continuity and foresight matter more than the excitement of the unboxing.
Five Essential Tips for New Nintendo Switch 2 Owners, From Data Transfer to SD Card Storage
The offer to transfer your Switch 1 data does not come back.
Mark
Why lead with data transfer? It seems like a small thing.
Mimi
Because it's the one tip with a deadline. The setup process offers the transfer once, and skipping it makes things fiddly later.
Luke
Worth noting that's the columnist's account. He says other methods exist but are more finicky, and he doesn't spell out what they involve.
Mark
And the battery advice? Does the 90 percent setting actually work?
Mimi
He frames it as helping long-term battery health, since lithium batteries dislike being constantly overcharged. You give up a bit of runtime now.
Luke
He says it "will" help, but he offers no testing or figures. The two-hour battery claim is also his own experience, not a measured benchmark.
Mark
What about the accessories? That could save people real money.
Mimi
It could. Pro Controllers and extra Joy-Cons carry over, and so do the SNES and N64 controllers. The Ring-Con and Leg Strap don't.
Luke
And third-party gear is untested. He tells readers to try it themselves, so nothing is promised there.
Mark
Is the SD card the biggest trap?
Mimi
Probably the easiest one to fall into. A standard microSDXC card won't work. It has to be microSD Express.
Luke
The install sizes are specific, 60GB-plus and 90GB, but the Final Fantasy VII port is described as upcoming, so that figure is a projection of what's coming.
Le Pouls
- The initial data transfer from a Switch 1 vanishes after setup, so the decision must be made in the first moments of ownership.
- Battery life, the console's most visible weakness, drops to barely two hours under demanding games and invites an overcharging concern.
- Older accessories and games mostly carry over, but a few novelty peripherals like the Ring-Con are left behind, forcing owners to check compatibility lists.
- Storage fills fast, with a single game like Final Fantasy VII Remake taking 90GB, and the Switch 2's microSD Express requirement means standard cards will not work.
A new console arrives with a quiet question at its first startup: whether to carry forward the record of an older machine, a choice that closes once the first days of play have passed. Much of what follows is a matter of small, practical care, such as protecting a battery that slowly tires with use, honoring the gear and games people already own, and planning for the growing appetite of modern games. Taken together, these modest decisions show how a new tool is folded into an existing life, where continuity and foresight matter more than the excitement of the unboxing.
The first decision a new Nintendo Switch 2 asks of its owner comes at startup, when the console offers to transfer data and Nintendo accounts from an original Switch. That offer does not return once a few sessions of play have begun. A Tom's Guide columnist who has owned the console since launch advises waiting out the progress bar on day one, with both consoles plugged in so neither dies mid-transfer.
The columnist, who praised the console in his review, names battery life as its one real flaw. A full charge can last barely two hours under demanding games. To protect the battery over time, he recommends enabling "Stop Charging Around 90%" under System Settings, trading a little runtime today for healthier lithium cells later.
Many older accessories still work, including the Pro Controller, extra Joy-Cons, and the re-released SNES and N64 controllers, though a few novelty pieces like the Ring-Con and the Switch Sports leg strap do not. Games carry over too, and several titles gain free or paid upgrades on the new hardware. Storage is the final concern: the 256GB built-in space fills quickly, and a game like Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade takes 90GB. The catch is that the Switch 2 needs a microSD Express card, not the standard microSDXC cards the original used, and the columnist considers a 256GB Samsung Express card essential.
These tips are one writer's six months of experience, meant for the first week of ownership, and Nintendo's compatibility lists remain the place to confirm details for any particular accessory or game.
The first thing a new Nintendo Switch 2 asks of its owner is a decision, and according to a Tom's Guide columnist who has owned the console since launch day, it is the one most worth getting right. During initial startup, the console offers to transfer data, including Nintendo accounts, from a first-generation Switch. That offer does not come back later, after a few sessions of Mario Kart World. There are still ways to move accounts and data afterward, the columnist says, but the process gets more finicky. His advice is to sit through the progress bar on day one, with both consoles plugged into power so neither runs out of charge partway through.
The second tip concerns the console's best-known weakness. The columnist, who gave the Switch 2 a very positive review last year, says battery life is its one big flaw. Even with demanding games, he says, a full charge lasts little more than two hours, and blockbuster titles cut that further. Since batteries wear down with use, he suggests turning on a setting that stops charging at around 90 percent. It lives under System Settings, then System, as "Stop Charging Around 90%." The trade-off is a little runtime now in exchange for better battery health later, since lithium batteries dislike being constantly overcharged.
Third, owners upgrading from the original Switch may not need to replace their gear. Many official Switch 1 accessories work with the Switch 2, including the Pro Controller and extra Joy-Cons, and even the re-released SNES and N64 controllers. Nintendo publishes a compatibility list. Some novelty peripherals are left out: the Ring-Con from the Ring Fit games and the Nintendo Switch Sports Leg Strap will not work with the default Joy-Con 2 controllers. Third-party headsets and controllers have to be tested individually, and the columnist notes owners may find their current gear still works.
The same continuity applies to games. The Switch 2 is nearly fully backward compatible, so titles such as Super Mario Odyssey and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate run on it, which gives anyone new to the Switch a deep library to start with. Some games also play better on the newer hardware. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Hogwarts Legacy have received dedicated Switch 2 Editions, available for a small upgrade fee. Others get a graphical boost at no cost, among them Splatoon 3, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, and the Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 collection. Nintendo keeps a full list of the free updates.
The final tip is about storage. The Switch 2 ships with 256GB, which sounds generous next to the 32GB in the original Switch, but install sizes have grown too. Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition needs more than 60GB. The upcoming Switch 2 port of Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade takes 90GB, about 35 percent of the built-in space. Anyone planning to keep more than a handful of big games installed will want a memory card.
There is a catch, though. The Switch 2 requires a microSD Express card, and the standard microSDXC cards used in the Switch 1 will not work. The columnist has run a 256GB Samsung microSD Express card since launch, which he says has mostly kept storage problems away, and he ranks it as an essential purchase.
Taken together, the advice is practical and sized for the first week of ownership: do the transfer at setup, adjust the charging limit, check what old gear still works, and buy the right card before the downloads pile up. These are one writer's experience over roughly six months, but the compatibility lists from Nintendo are the place to confirm the specifics for any given accessory or game.
Citations marquantes
Do the Switch 1 data transfer first thing, because the option isn't offered later and other methods are more finicky.— Tom's Guide columnist
A 256GB Samsung microSD Express card has mostly kept storage headaches at bay and ranks as an essential extra.— Tom's Guide columnist
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