@axel I think I'll wait to find out about potential spoilers before deciding if it's something to do the first time around for second.

So, you'll be able to recruit these new guys on a first play-through as well?

Is that likely about voice chat?

@thedemonpirate also bear in mind that when you have a game you want to install to the internal memory you have to totally power off the console to remove the sd (of course). and when updates and dlc go to install they will still target the sd unless you remove it again for those.

From the eShop page here in the UK:

“This game does not support the Save Data Cloud functionality of Nintendo Switch Online. However, the ability to recover Animal Crossing: New Horizons save data from the server in the event of console failure, loss or theft will be available to Nintendo Switch Online members sometime in the future.”

“Animal Crossing: New Horizons does not support the ability to transfer your save file from one Nintendo Switch console to another.”

To me, “console failure”, “loss” and “theft” would all require the save data to be recovered to a new console, so I remain optimistic.

@mbun You make great points about Animal Crossing as a game that would in any way benefit from a potential Switch pro. I don't think it really would either.

The thing with me is I've always had multiple of the same handhelds in the Pokémon era in order to facilitate trading with myself, simultaneous playthroughs etc. A lot of this is about being able to complete the dex all by myself, even with no online.

I did this for 3DS where I have about 4 models of that now, and what it eventually led to what the legacy cfw scene. This is the sense that once a console is over the best thing to do is mod it and get more out of it that way. I've held onto my launch Switch like it's the baby Jesus in this regard because it is entirely unpatched against the hardware level exploit. When I want to hack this thing, the best idea would be to move my user and all the saves over to a new device in order to disassociate my NNID from the cfw device which would now be like an offline device.

This might seem like a bit of a first world problem, but by prohibiting save transfers for potential upgrades, by the looks of it transfer to new consoles if you lost or broke your original etc., they also seem to be incompatible with this idea.

The best thing I can think of is that I might be able to leave behind a resident on the original Switch that's not tied to my Nintendo online as a way of preserving an island as I'm forced to start again on the new one. Ugh. I just wish I had the extra money now so I could get a new battery life Switch and migrate to that and be a bit less annoyed. The last thing I want is my island tied to the one system I can easily exploit.

@mbun It's making me hesitate even starting my island until the announcement of a Pro.

@mbun perhaps the best bet would be claiming to have lost the original after migrating to the new one?

My hope here is to use the back up function, migrate to a new switch, then use it to get my island back.

@mbun I saw one person theorise that because of the multiple user system allowing for up to eight residents on the console's island, you might be prohibited from moving your save/island because of the potential island cloning and problems therein.