If you want to back up your saves on the PlayStation 4, all you need is a USB stick. On the Xbox, you can just use online storage without paying extra. But if you’re a Switch owner who just wants some comfort over the 200 hours you’ve spent saving Hyrule, you only have one option – wait for September, then pay for it.
Pictured: Link looking out at Hyrule, hoping his Sheikah Slate has backup saves.
The Switch’s inability to let owners back up their saves has been controversial since the system launched in March of last year, but Nintendo triggered a new conversation this week by announcing that it will finally add cloud saves to the system, allowing players to upload their files to digital storage. The problem: You’ll have to pay $29.95/year for the privilege.
Nintendo has not said anything about offering any other way to let Switch owners back up their files, so fans are calling upon the company to do something.
One user on the message board Resetera, “Redhead On Moped”, has started a social media campaign – #SaveTheSaves – calling on Nintendo to start supporting some sort of local backup save feature, be it through USB or microSD or free cloud saves for all (unlikely, given how much it costs for storage).
The user makes a compelling case:
PC games? Copy paste to anywhere, with anything.
Sega CD? Buy multiple RAM carts.
PlayStation? Duplicate your memory card.
Saturn? Backup memory cart.
Dreamcast? Use extra VMUs or memory cards!
PS2? See PS1
GCN? Memory cards baby!
Xbox? Memory card it!
Wii? Grab an SD Card!
Xbox 360? Use a flash stick, memory card, or hard disk.
PS3: Use a USB flash stick.
Even The Wii U: Use a USB 2.0 Mass Storage Device.
PS4: Use a flash drive.
Xbox One: FREELY USE THE CLOUD
Nintendo Switch: NOPE!
I asked Nintendo at the beginning of the week if it plans to offer local backup saves to people who don’t subscribe to the online service, and followed up again today, but the company has not commented.
Comments
14 responses to “Nintendo Fans Campaign For Switch Backup Saves ”
I predict that by the time September comes around, cloud saves will be among the features you don’t have to pay for. Tbh I’m actually not bothered because I’d be paying for the online services anyway but I understand the principle.
That’s extremely optimistic 😛
They keep forgetting that the USB for the ps4 needed to be at least 250 gigs to transfer data.
Is that for system transfer or backup of game saves? I’m pretty sure I backed up saves onto a regular USB stick before I had PS+
Just a save. I just wanted to move over a Bloodborne save.
NO! That is only if you want to use it as a hdd to install games. You can just plug any old usb stick in the ps4 and backup your saves and media.
What do you think I tried to do? I selected the bloodborne save, selected the move to usb and got an error message saying it required a 250gig usb.
Ahh the typical Nintendo fans defense.
I’m not defending Nintendo here, I just want them to add that PS4 doesn’t allow you to transfer files unless you have a 250 gig usb. Because I was pissed as hell when I found out.
Thats a requirement if you want to use it as storage exapnsion
There is no such requirement for transfer of files.
Education is a wonderful thing.
From memory the PS3 wouldn’t let you back up certain game saves on USB.
Still, that’s small-fry compared to the Switch’s total inability.
I plugged in a USB and attempted to move over my bloodborne files. Every time it told me that it required a 250 gig USB for the saves to move. I tried multiple times.
I tried looking it up, but everyone said you could do it. Unless my PS4 is just special, it required a 250 gig usb to move over a 10mb file.
Had my Switch (and all my games) stolen while on holiday a few weeks back. Now when I eventually replace it, I’ll have to start every game from scratch :'(
Huh? We will be able to make local backup saves in Summer 2018. And play on virtual console as well. And play backup copies of retail games. 🙂