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On the original Nintendo Switch edition of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, start the game with a different Switch user profile to begin a separate playthrough while keeping your main profile’s progress intact. On the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, Nintendo documents a second manual-save file, which can be used to start a new adventure or continue the existing one.
Choose the method that matches your edition
| Your situation | What to do | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Original Nintendo Switch edition; another playthrough on the same console | Choose a different Switch user before launching the game. | Save data is associated with the user. Do not start the new run under the profile whose progress you want to preserve. Nintendo explains per-user save storage. |
| Nintendo Switch 2 Edition; another playthrough under the same user | Use the edition’s second manual-save file. | This is a Switch 2 Edition feature. Nintendo says the second save cannot be transferred to the original Switch edition. |
| Moving progress to another console | Use Nintendo’s save-data transfer or Save Data Cloud as appropriate. | Transfer moves data between systems; cloud download replaces the console’s save for that game. Neither is a second independent local slot. |
Start a fresh save on the original Switch edition
- Return to the HOME Menu. Do not launch the game under your main profile if you need to protect its progress.
- Select a different user profile. If no second user exists, create one in the Switch system settings; navigation labels can vary by system software version and region.
- Check the user icon on the game’s launch screen. Confirm it is the alternate profile before opening Tears of the Kingdom.
- Launch the game with that profile. Nintendo generally stores software save data separately for each user. The alternate profile’s progress is therefore separate from the main profile’s save.
The save is associated with the console user, not the game card. Selecting the correct profile before launch is the key step.
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Use the second save in the Switch 2 Edition
Nintendo describes a second manual-save file for the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. Its official feature page says in Spanish, “Con dos archivos de guardado, podrás comenzar una nueva aventura o continuar la anterior con tus datos de guardado existentes.” In English: “With two save files, you can start a new adventure or continue the previous one with your existing save data.” This English sentence is a translation, not Nintendo’s quoted English wording.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesUse the game’s second manual-save-file option if you want a new adventure under the same user. Do not assume that this same-user second slot is available in the original Switch edition. Nintendo also says the second Switch 2 Edition save cannot be transferred to the original Switch edition.
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Why cloud saves and transfers are not extra save slots
Save Data Cloud
Save Data Cloud requires Nintendo Switch Online. Nintendo warns that downloading a backup replaces the existing save data on the console for that game, and the overwritten data cannot be recovered. Nintendo also says each game has one cloud backup file. Cloud storage is therefore not a safe way to create a second independent save. See Nintendo’s cloud-download instructions.
Transfer between consoles
Nintendo supports nearby save-data transfer without Nintendo Switch Online, but a transfer moves the save from the source console to the target; it does not make a local duplicate. Nintendo’s save-data transfer instructions explain the process. Nintendo’s data-management guidance says Switch save data cannot be stored or moved using a microSD card and cannot be copied on the same console.
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Using more than one console
If you play on multiple consoles, check the cloud-save state before switching. Nintendo warns that using another console before downloading the latest cloud backup can leave divergent saves. Choosing which version to overwrite may permanently discard the other progress.
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- Nintendo eShop Digital Cards are redeemable only through the Nintendo eShop on the Nintendo Switch, Wii U, and Nintendo 3DS family of systems.
- Digital Card balances can be shared across Nintendo Switch, Wii U and Nintendo 3DS family of systems, but may only be used on a single Nintendo eShop account.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
