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007 First LightPATCH 2026.10.16

How to Transfer Nintendo Switch Save Data to Switch 2 Before Playing 007 First Light

By VGSources Team 9 min read

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Transfer your save before starting 007 First Light on Switch 2 by using Nintendo’s built-in System Transfer during the new console’s setup. If Switch 2 is already configured, use Nintendo’s nearby-console save-data transfer to move only the game data you select. Both methods require the same Nintendo Account-linked user on both consoles; the nearby-console method does not require Nintendo Switch Online.

Keep the original Switch until you have opened the game on Switch 2 and verified the intended save. Nintendo’s general guidance does not yet confirm that every existing 007 First Light campaign save will work with the Switch 2 release, so treat the transfer and the game’s own compatibility support as two separate checks.

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Choose the right transfer method first

Your choice depends on whether Switch 2 is still in its first-time setup and whether you want a complete console move or only a particular game save.

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Situation Use this method What it does Important condition
You are setting up Switch 2 for the first time Full System Transfer Moves digital games, certain save data and settings in one guided process The source Switch must have at least one user linked to a Nintendo Account, and both systems need an active internet connection
Switch 2 is already set up Nearby-console save-data transfer Moves selected saves, such as the 007 First Light save if Nintendo lists it Both consoles must be online, close to each other and using the same Nintendo Account-linked user; Nintendo Switch Online is not required
You want to preserve the old console’s copy whenever Nintendo permits it Check the save type before choosing Cloud-compatible saves for Nintendo-Account-linked users can remain on the old Switch and also be copied to Switch 2 Unlinked-user data and saves for games not supported by Save Data Cloud Backup can be moved and deleted from the old console during a system transfer

Do not start the game on Switch 2 until the chosen transfer has finished. Opening a new game first can make it less obvious which file you are checking, especially if the title creates local data during its first launch.

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Prepare both consoles before transferring

Keep the original Switch available

Do not sell, reset or send away the original Switch until the save is confirmed on Switch 2. A transfer is not a substitute for a backup plan: Nintendo’s treatment of the old copy depends on the user account and the game’s save-support status.

Connect power and install updates

Charge both consoles or connect both to power. A transfer that stops because one system sleeps or loses power is harder to diagnose than one performed while both systems remain powered. Install available system updates on both consoles before beginning. Also update the game after it is installed on Switch 2, before loading the transferred save.

Put the systems online and close together

Both methods use an internet connection. For a nearby-console transfer, place the consoles close enough for Nintendo’s local discovery process to find the other system. Keep them in the same room, awake and unlocked while the prompts are displayed.

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Match the user and Nintendo Account

Create or select the corresponding user on each console and link that user to the same Nintendo Account. Nintendo requires this account match for save-data transfer. A similarly named local profile is not enough if it is linked to a different account, or to no account at all.

Have the game ready, but do not launch it yet

Install the Switch 2 version or available software for 007 First Light only after the console transfer if the setup process does not install it automatically. Nintendo warns that some Switch games may not be fully compatible with Switch 2 and that compatibility can change as updates arrive. Check for the latest system and game updates before you make a campaign decision.

Method 1: complete Nintendo Switch System Transfer

Use System Transfer when Switch 2 is still in its initial setup and you want the broadest move of games, supported saves and settings. Nintendo describes this process as moving “your digital games, certain save data, and settings straight over to your new system.”

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  1. Start Switch 2’s first-time setup. Turn on the new console and proceed through the opening setup screens until Nintendo offers the transfer from Nintendo Switch option.
  2. Select the transfer option. Choose the option to transfer from a Nintendo Switch when it appears. Do not skip it if you intend to use the setup-based method; the nearby-console procedure is available later, but it is a different, selective process.
  3. Prepare the source Switch. Keep the original console nearby, powered on and connected to the internet. If prompted, unlock it and select the source user linked to the Nintendo Account that you will use on Switch 2.
  4. Confirm the destination user. On Switch 2, select or create the corresponding user and verify that it is linked to the same Nintendo Account as the source user.
  5. Accept the on-screen transfer prompts. Nintendo’s setup flow identifies the consoles and presents the data that can be moved. Read each confirmation, particularly any notice about data that may be removed from the original console.
  6. Leave both systems alone until completion. Keep both consoles powered and online. Do not open a game, close the setup screen or put either system to sleep while the transfer is running.
  7. Finish setup and inspect the result. After Nintendo reports completion, open the destination user’s software and save-data areas to confirm that the expected data is present before launching 007 First Light.

What System Transfer can and cannot preserve

Nintendo’s transfer guide covers digital games, certain save data and settings, not an unconditional copy of every file on the old console. For Nintendo-Account-linked users, cloud-compatible save data can remain on the original Switch while also being copied to Switch 2. That is different from saying every game has a second usable copy.

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Nintendo says data belonging to users who are not linked to a Nintendo Account, and save data for games that are not supported by Save Data Cloud Backup, may be moved and deleted from the old console. If either condition applies to the profile that contains your progress, read the warning on the transfer screen carefully and do not erase the source console until you have verified the destination.

Method 2: transfer only selected save data nearby

Use the nearby-console method if Switch 2 has already completed setup, or if you want to move selected games rather than the full console configuration. Nintendo states that a Nintendo Switch Online membership is not required for this transfer.

  1. Open save-data management on Switch 2. On the destination console, open System Settings, enter the save-data management area and choose the option to receive save data from another console. Nintendo can change the exact wording with firmware updates, so follow the current label shown on your system.
  2. Open the matching function on the original Switch. On the source console, open the corresponding save-data management option and choose to send save data to another console.
  3. Select the matching user. Choose the user linked to the same Nintendo Account on both systems. If the intended profile is missing or the accounts do not match, stop and correct the account setup before proceeding.
  4. Select the game save. Choose the 007 First Light save if Nintendo lists it. If the game does not appear, do not select a different file as a substitute; the absence may indicate that the save is not present on that user, is not available to the transfer function or requires a current game/system update.
  5. Confirm send and receive. Accept the confirmation prompts on both consoles. Keep the systems close, powered and online while Nintendo moves the selected data.
  6. Wait for the completion message. Do not launch the game or interrupt either console until the transfer reports that it is finished.
  7. Verify on Switch 2. Open the destination user’s save-data management screen and then start 007 First Light only after you can identify the transferred file.

Nearby transfer is selective: it is not the same as moving all settings, digital purchases and users. If you also need the broader console setup, use System Transfer instead or complete the remaining setup tasks manually.

Verify the save before you play

A successful transfer message proves that Nintendo moved data; it does not by itself prove that the game will accept the file. Use this check before committing to a new campaign.

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  1. Confirm that the intended user is active on Switch 2 and is linked to the same Nintendo Account as the source user.
  2. Check the Switch 2 save-data management screen for an entry for 007 First Light under that user.
  3. Install all available Switch 2 system and game updates.
  4. Launch the current Switch 2 build and choose the existing-save or continue option if the game presents one.
  5. Compare the visible progress, profile information or other in-game indicators with what you remember from the original Switch.
  6. Quit normally, reopen the game and confirm that the progress remains before making any changes on the original console.

If the game starts at a new-game screen, stop before overwriting anything. Return to the title’s save-data menu and the console’s user selection, then check that you transferred the correct profile and that the game is installed under the same user.

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What IO Interactive’s cross-progression information means

Do not confuse Nintendo save-data transfer with IO Interactive account cross-progression. IO Interactive’s 007 First Light FAQ says online cross-progression covers Tac Sim clearance level, Tac Sim XP, Tac Sim inventory, Tac Sim challenges and IOI Account entitlements.

The same FAQ explicitly excludes campaign progression, achievements, collectibles, leaderboards, ownership, downloadable-content ownership and ownership-linked unlocks. In its words, “Cross Progression WILL NOT include Campaign Progression.” An IOI Account therefore should not be treated as a way to move a completed campaign between platforms or versions.

Nintendo’s general Switch-to-Switch-2 guidance also warns that some Switch games may be unsupported or not fully compatible. No official statement in the available material confirms that a pre-existing 007 First Light campaign save from another platform or a separate game version will load in the Switch 2 release. The practical approach is to transfer the Nintendo save first, update the Switch 2 build and then check the game’s current compatibility or support notes.

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Troubleshoot the common failure points

The consoles cannot find each other

  • Confirm that both systems are connected to the internet, awake and close together.
  • Keep both consoles connected to power and remain on the transfer screens.
  • Restart the transfer from the relevant send or receive menu rather than launching the game.
  • Install pending system updates before trying again.

The user or save is not listed

  • Check that the source and destination profiles are linked to the same Nintendo Account, not merely given the same local name.
  • Make sure you selected the user that actually played the game.
  • Update the system and game, then reopen save-data management.
  • If the save belongs to an unlinked user or a game outside Save Data Cloud Backup support, read Nintendo’s transfer warning before proceeding because the old-console data may be moved and deleted.

The transfer completed but the game shows no progress

  • Quit the game and verify the active user on Switch 2.
  • Check the save-data management entry for the title under that user.
  • Confirm that the Switch 2 software is current and that you did not install or launch the game under another profile.
  • Do not delete the original save while the compatibility question remains unresolved.

You already skipped System Transfer

You can still use nearby-console save-data transfer from the save-data management area. It moves selected saves rather than recreating the complete setup, so digital games, settings or other users that were not included must be handled separately through Nintendo’s current setup and account options.

Release timing and why the date matters

IO Interactive’s October 14, 2026 announcement gives the Nintendo Switch 2 release date for 007 First Light as March 18, 2027. That date is the target for the Switch 2 version; it is not evidence that a campaign save will automatically convert or that every feature will match another platform.

The announcement also says pre-orders are open through Nintendo Store, Amazon.com and selected retailers, with a Special Edition exclusive to Amazon.com. Edition availability, region, price and release status can change, so verify those details in the live listing if you are buying the game. The announcement’s report that the game reached four million units sold in its first three months describes overall sales and does not establish Switch 2 save compatibility.

Safe order of operations

For the lowest-risk setup, keep the source Switch untouched, complete the appropriate Nintendo transfer, install current updates, confirm the destination user and save, and only then launch the Switch 2 version. If the campaign is not recognized, preserve the original console’s data and consult the latest Nintendo and IO Interactive support information instead of assuming that an IOI Account can restore campaign progress.

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