Nintendo Seemingly Confirms It's Working on Easier Switch System Transfers

The Nintendo Switch Lite, the slimmer new model of the Nintendo Switch console announced this morning, is on the way, set to launch later this year. The main selling point for the new system beyond the cheaper price is that it's a handheld-only console, allowing folks to take an optimized Switch experience on the go. But what about those folks that already have a Nintendo Switch, but want to swap back and forth with the Nintendo Switch Lite? Well, Nintendo might make that a little bit easier in the future.

As it stands, the official system transfer process between Switch systems is something of a labyrinthine nightmare. Compared to, say, Sony or Microsoft, transferring user data from one Switch to another can be a nightmarish endeavor. Perhaps the most troubling aspect for fans that might want to move back and forth from the Switch and Switch Lite is that user data is deleted from the original console. In other words, there's basically no having the same profile and saves and so on on two different console -- which the Switch and Switch Lite are, effectively.

When asked by CNET about this problem, Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser indicated that the company is seemingly working on something to make this process simpler.

"Yes, you will have the ability to transfer between devices, your gameplay experiences. More to come on there, but that is the intention," Bowser said.

Now, that isn't exactly a definitive confirmation of... anything from Bowser. Technically, players are able to "transfer between devices" right now; the process is just an onerous one. That said, the phrasing and "more to come" seems to indicate that there will be an updated procedure in place

The Nintendo Switch Lite features a 5.5-inch touch display, making it overall smaller than the original, and a traditional D-pad with built-in controllers. It does not feature the IR camera or rumble function of the Joy-Cons. Games that require motion controls will need Joy-Cons to function, and future packaging will indicate whether a given video game can function in handheld mode.

"Adding Nintendo Switch Lite to the lineup gives gamers more color and price point options," Bowser said as part of the press release announcing the new system. "Now consumers can choose the system that best suits how they like to play their favorite Nintendo Switch games."

The Nintendo Switch Lite is scheduled to launch on September 20th for $199.99, and will be available in yellow, gray, and turquoise. A special Pokemon version of the new system will launch on November 8th in North America.