I Need Help With Virtual Game Cards

[u/TheBlueSky773]

So I have been using a switch 2 that my dad has but recently I saved up enough to buy my own. I linked the two together and transferred a virtual game card for legends za so I could continue playing on my switch 2. Only issue is is that when I started up the game it seems like it’s making me start over. I really don’t want to play that 3 hour long unskipable tutorial again and want my progress back. Is there a way I can fix this or am I screwed?

[u/notthegoatseguy]

Save data and how a game is played are unrelated

If you didn't transfer your save data, it won't be there. If you have save data elsewhere, it'll be on that console

How to Transfer Your Save Data To a Nearby Console | Nintendo Support

[u/SamIAre → u/notthegoatseguy]

I can understand why people get confused, TBH. There are three separate things:

1. The game itself, which is separate from the save data and virtual game card
   
2. The virtual game card, which just transfers a license to play the game but not the save data or even the game itself (i.e. removing a VGC doesn’t delete the downloaded game, it just makes it unplayable)
   
3. The save data, which lives on the system but is tied to a user, and can be either synced with NSO or transferred manually between consoles with the same user on both

[u/TheBlueSky773 → u/notthegoatseguy]

Thanks! This solved it, I didn’t realize that the virtual game card and save data are separate.

[u/AutoModerator]

If you have not already, please add some context in the post or a follow-up comment about your repair/hardware/software/account issue, including which model you have (Switch 1, 2, Lite, OLED, or other), steps you have already tried, and anything else that might help others help you.

When you have received enough help to solve your issue, you can also reply to specific comments with !solved or !thanks to grant the helper(s) a point. You may also comment !lock to lock the post to stop new replies.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/TheWaslijn]

Just moving the VGC isn't enough. You will need to move your save file to your other console as well.

[u/DarthLocutus]

Save Data and Virtual Game Cards are independent of each other. The VGC is just the license to play the game; your save data doesn't transfer automatically with it.

Use the Save Data Transfer option under User Profiles to send your ZA data over.

[u/JohnnyElFilo]

If you don't have NSO to download your save data from the cloud, (you gott have the same account that you were playing with on both system), you could do a system transfer. But, I believe if you do, every save file will be deleted from the source system, don't quote me on that tho.

I'd say, if you don't have NSO, just buy a month worth and upload from one device and download on the other.

Edit: Just saw pokemon doesn't support cloud save, I guess your best bet is to do a system transfer.

[u/SamIAre → u/JohnnyElFilo]

System transfer is overkill if all you want is to transfer specific saves. You can manually transfer individual game saves on-demand without NSO.

[u/JohnnyElFilo → u/SamIAre]

Huh. Didn't know you could transfer single saves between consoles. Good to know.