The Nintendo Switch only comes with 32GB of internal storage, which is tiny if you plan on having more than a handful of downloaded games and apps on your portable console. The solution is to use a microSD card to expand the Switch's storage. But what's the easiest way to do it? And if you already have a microSD card and want to use a new one with more capacity, how do you migrate your files? Do not worry; we'll walk you through it all.
Before you begin, it's always a good idea to back up your games to a desktop computer using a microSD card. Of course, any title downloaded from the Nintendo eShop (they're linked to your account) can be archived and re-downloaded directly, if needed. But downloading your entire library takes much longer; having a local copy will save you time.
Game saves (like your streak of Master's Trials in Breath of the Wild) are saved locally to the Switch's internal memory. As long as you archive and don't delete game data on the Switch, you won't lose your valuable saved data.
To get started, you'll need: a computer (operating system doesn't matter as long as you have storage space), a microSD card adapter (if your computer doesn't have no microSD slot), and finally, a microSD card. Nintendo recommends using a single UHS-I (Ultra High Speed Phase I) compliant microSD card, with transfer speeds of 60–95 MB/s; the higher, the better. Do not use multiple microSD cards with different games on the same Switch as this may cause conflicts.
The setup process should be done in portable mode (i.e. not tethered) next to your computer, as you will need to access the storage location under the kickstand. This process is the same whether you do it with the original Nintendo Switch or the new OLED model.
Move your games from the Switch to a microSD card
If you don't have a microSD card already installed and your Switch's internal memory is full, here's how you can migrate data to a microSD card. To test this, I moved Super Smash Bros Ultimate from local storage to a 128GB SanDisk microSDXC UHS-I microSD card for the Nintendo Switch.
- Turn off your Switch by holding down the power button, scrolling to Power Options, and then selecting Power off.
- Turn the handheld over, then lift the kickstand next to the right Joy-Con controller. Under the plastic stand, you will find a microSD card slot.
- Insert your new microSD card into the slot. You should hear a slight click once it is firmly seated.
- Turn on your Nintendo Switch. Navigate to the system settings gear icon in the lower right and tap the "A" button (or double-tap with your finger).
- Scroll down (using the touchscreen or Joy-Con controller) to select Data Management. Your cursor will jump to the storage management screen.
- Navigate to and select Manage Software, just below Quick Archive.
- From there, you can browse the list and determine which games/apps are stored locally and which are stored on the microSD card. There's no simple transfer tool between the Switch's internal storage and the microSD card, so you need to archive your game(s) first - one game at a time.
- Once you have decided which game(s) you want to migrate, highlight and select the first one from the list.
- In the game data info screen, scroll down to Archive Software and select it. A confirmation pop-up should appear notifying you that game data will be archived; however, your saved data and game icon will remain on the Switch home screen. Confirm your selection by tapping Archive.
- There is an alternative method for archiving games: instead, highlight the game in question on your home screen, press the "+" button on the right Joy-Con, scroll down to Manage software, then select Archive Software. Finally, confirm your selection by tapping Archive in the pop-up window.
- In any case, now press the Home button on the right Joy-Con to access the home screen. From there, navigate to the icon for the game you just archived. Press the "A" button and a confirmation window will appear. Confirm it by tapping Download, then wait for the download to complete.
- Press the Home button again for the Home screen, then navigate to the System Settings page as you did earlier. Head to Data Management, then navigate to the game you just downloaded. You should see the amount of storage right next to the microSD card icon, just below the game/app title.
- Repeat as needed for each game you want to download directly to the microSD card. Future purchases and downloads will properly route to the microSD card instead of internal storage.
Move games from your existing microSD card to another
If you already have a microSD card installed and want to swap it out for, say, a faster or larger card, you'll need a computer (with a microSD slot or adapter) to back up your files.
- Turn off your Nintendo Switch by holding down the power button, selecting Power Options, and then selecting Power Off. Eject your old microSD card (located under the kickstand on the right side) by gently pressing on it; it should come out easily.
- Insert the microSD card into the slot on your computer or into an adapter connected to your system. (If you don't have an adapter yet, you can try something like the SanDisk MobileMate USB 3.0 PC Card Reader as it doubles as an SD card adapter). Once the microSD card is recognized, go to File Explorer on Windows or Finder on a Mac. You should see the mounted USB device as a form of external storage (its name depends on your hardware). In the drive, there should be a folder named Nintendo. Your precious files are inside!
- Mettez en surbrillance le dossier « Nintendo », puis faites-le glisser et déposez-le sur votre bureau. Une fois qu’il est en surbrillance, vous pouvez également appuyer sur les touches Ctrl + C sous Windows ou les touches cmd + C sur un Mac pour copier le dossier. Pour le coller sur votre bureau, appuyez sur Ctrl + V sous Windows ou cmd + V sur un Mac. Attendez que le dossier soit transféré sur votre ordinateur – puisqu’il contient plusieurs dossiers et fichiers, sa taille dépasse généralement quelques gigaoctets.
- Maintenant que tous vos fichiers de jeu sont sauvegardés sur votre ordinateur, vous pouvez retirer la carte microSD de la fente (ou de l’adaptateur).
- Remplacez votre ancienne carte microSD par la nouvelle, en l’insérant dans la fente de votre ordinateur ou dans l’adaptateur. Dirigez-vous vers votre explorateur de fichiers ou votre Finder et accédez au périphérique de stockage monté. Puisque la nouvelle carte est vide, vous ne verrez naturellement aucun dossier ou fichier.
- Copiez le dossier « Nintendo » que vous avez enregistré sur votre bureau, en le transférant tel quel sur la nouvelle carte microSD (ne modifiez aucun nom de fichier ni dossier). Vous pouvez glisser-déposer ou utiliser la fonction copier/coller.
- Attendez que le transfert soit terminé. Retirez l’adaptateur du port de votre ordinateur ou la carte microSD de la fente.
- Insérez votre nouvelle carte microSD dans la fente pour carte du Switch éteint.
- Allumez votre commutateur. Accédez à Paramètres système > Gestion des données > Gérer le logiciel une fois de plus. Faites défiler la liste en vous assurant que vos jeux ont bien été migrés vers la carte microSD.
- Vous pouvez également savoir clairement que les fichiers se trouvent sur la carte en regardant l’indicateur d’espace libre sur le côté droit, sous la mémoire système.
Voilà! Vous avez réussi à migrer vos fichiers Switch d’une carte microSD à une autre et/ou ajouté une microSD pour étendre votre bibliothèque de jeux.
Mise à jour du 4 mars: Cet article a été initialement publié le 8 mars 2019 et a été mis à jour pour expliquer que le processus est le même pour la Nintendo Switch OLED et que le stockage de la Nintendo Switch Lite ne peut pas être mis à niveau.
إرسال تعليق