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Use Nintendo’s built-in System Transfer with both 3DS-family systems present. On each console, open System Settings > Other Settings > System Transfer. On the old console choose Transfer from Nintendo 3DS, then Send from This System. On the new console choose Transfer from Nintendo 3DS, then Receive from Nintendo 3DS.
The correct transfer method depends on the source card’s capacity and whether your game is downloaded or on a physical Game Card. Do not register the source Nintendo Network ID (NNID) on the target before starting; the transfer can overwrite the target’s NNID setup.
What transfers, and what does not
A 3DS System Transfer moves the old console’s account-related data and downloaded content to the replacement handheld. For digital games, downloaded software, downloadable-game save data, update data and add-on content are included in the SD-card/System Transfer process. Nintendo also transfers the Nintendo eShop account, NNID and friend list during the internet portion of the operation.
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Physical games work differently. Progress such as completed levels and collected items is stored on the Nintendo 3DS Game Card itself. Move the cartridge to the new handheld and that progress remains available. Some Game Cards can store SpotPass or StreetPass information on the SD card or system memory, but that is separate from the main game progress.
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If you are changing a retail copy into its downloadable version, use Nintendo’s Save Data Transfer Tool rather than a normal System Transfer. It is a one-way move: the tool transfers the retail save, then deletes the original. It cannot move a downloadable save back to a retail card or transfer a save between two copies of the same format.
Choose the right transfer method
Check the source console’s card before you begin. Nintendo’s options are determined mainly by the SD-card capacity, the card format in each handheld and whether you need all downloaded software or only particular saves.
| Situation | Recommended path | Card handling | What moves | Extra equipment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Source SD card is 4 GB or smaller | Local wireless System Transfer | The transfer wizard handles the card data between the systems | Downloaded software and its save data, along with the account transfer | Both consoles, wireless broadband and power; Nintendo says the process may take up to two hours |
| Source card is larger than 4 GB | System Transfer with the PC-copy option | Copy the complete Nintendo 3DS folder to a blank target microSD card |
Downloaded software, downloaded-save data, updates and add-on content | PC, compatible SD/microSD reader or adapter, and a blank target microSD card |
| Source card is larger than 4 GB but you only need saves | Save-data-only transfer offered by the transfer wizard | Uses the target system’s included microSD card | Save data rather than the complete downloaded library | Both consoles, internet and power; follow the option shown on screen |
| Original 3DS, 3DS XL or 2DS going to a New 3DS-family system | PC-copy System Transfer or the save-data-only choice | The source uses SD; the target uses microSD, so the PC method bridges the formats | Depends on the selected transfer choice | For New 3DS-family card access, a size #0 cross-head Phillips screwdriver may be needed |
| Physical 3DS Game Card | No save-file copy is normally required | Remove the cartridge from the old system and insert it in the new one | Game progress stored on that cartridge | The original Game Card |
A source card of exactly 4 GB falls within Nintendo’s “4 GB or smaller” wireless category. A card larger than 4 GB should be treated as a larger-card transfer even if only a small amount of data is actually used.
Prepare both handhelds before starting
Keep both systems together
Nintendo requires both systems to be on hand for a System Transfer. Put the source and target next to each other, remove any case or accessory that blocks the card or charging port, and make sure you can operate both screens throughout the wizard.
Charge the batteries and connect power
Fully charge both consoles. Nintendo UK recommends having two AC adapters available so neither system loses power during the transfer. Keep the adapters connected for the entire operation when possible; a shutdown while data is being written can leave the target incomplete.
Connect to wireless broadband
Update either system if the transfer wizard requests it, then connect both consoles to wireless broadband. The internet portion handles the eShop account, NNID and friend list, so an offline setup cannot complete the full account transfer.
Do not set up the target NNID first
Do not create or register the source NNID on the target before the transfer. Nintendo warns that the target’s NNID setup can be overwritten by the transfer. Start with the target in the state required by the System Transfer wizard instead of trying to recreate the old account manually.
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Protect photos and recordings on the target
Back up any photos or video recordings currently stored on the target if you want to keep them. Nintendo says target data may be deleted depending on the transfer choice, so copy anything important before accepting the final prompts.
Gather card-access tools
Have a compatible SD/microSD reader or adapter ready if you will use the PC method. A New Nintendo 3DS-family console may require a size #0 cross-head Phillips screwdriver to open the card compartment. Do not remove a card while a system is powered on.
Run the standard System Transfer
Use these steps on both consoles. The wording below follows Nintendo’s on-screen sequence.
- On each handheld, open System Settings.
- Choose Other Settings.
- Choose System Transfer.
- Select Transfer from Nintendo 3DS on both systems.
- On the old console, select Send from This System.
- On the new console, select Receive from Nintendo 3DS.
- Read the card-capacity and data-deletion messages. Select the transfer method offered for your hardware and card.
- Confirm the source and target when the systems display each other, then follow every prompt until both consoles report completion.
Keep the systems powered and within wireless range until the wizard finishes. Do not close the process simply because one console appears idle; the account and card-data stages can complete at different times.
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Wireless transfer for a 4 GB-or-smaller source card
Nintendo supports a local wireless transfer when the source SD card is 4 GB or smaller. The two handhelds exchange the data directly through the System Transfer wizard. Nintendo says this process may take up to two hours, so allow substantially more time than the size of a single save file suggests.
Choose this path only when the source card meets the capacity rule shown by Nintendo. A large card with only a few gigabytes used is still a larger-card case; the rule concerns the card capacity, not the amount of free space.
PC-copy transfer for a larger source card
The PC route is the complete-content option for a source card larger than 4 GB and is especially important when moving from an original 3DS-family SD card to a New 3DS-family microSD card.
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Start the transfer wizard first
- Update both systems if prompted and connect them to wireless broadband.
- Open System Settings > Other Settings > System Transfer on both systems.
- Select Transfer from Nintendo 3DS on each console.
- Choose Send from This System on the source and Receive from Nintendo 3DS on the target.
- When the wizard offers transfer methods, select Copy via PC.
Copy the card data safely
- Turn both systems completely off before removing either card.
- Remove the source SD card and insert it into a compatible computer reader or adapter.
- Copy the entire folder named
Nintendo 3DSfrom the source card to a temporary location on the computer. Do not open the folder and copy only selected subfolders; Nintendo’s process requires the complete folder. - Remove the source card safely from the computer.
- Insert the target system’s blank microSD card into the reader. The target card must be blank for this procedure.
- Copy the complete
Nintendo 3DSfolder from the computer to the root of the target microSD card. - Eject the microSD card safely, insert it into the target handheld and finish the on-screen transfer.
Nintendo says the Nintendo 3DS folder contains downloaded software, downloaded-software save data, update data and add-on content. Do not power off a console while the wizard is processing the copied card data, and do not rename, merge or selectively replace the folder.
Why the blank target card matters
The target microSD card is the destination for the source card’s complete content. Starting with a blank card prevents old encrypted content or an unrelated Nintendo 3DS folder from being mixed with the transferred data. If the target card already contains files you need, back them up before following Nintendo’s blank-card instruction; target data can otherwise be lost according to the transfer choice.
Save-data-only transfer
For larger source cards, Nintendo also provides a save-data-only route using the target system’s included microSD card. Select that option when the transfer wizard presents it if your goal is to move saves without copying the entire downloaded library.
This path is useful when you do not have a PC and reader, or when the target’s included card is sufficient for the saves you need. It does not serve the same purpose as the PC-copy option: the PC route is intended to bring over the complete downloaded-content folder, while save-data-only is limited to the save transfer described by the wizard.
Read each confirmation screen carefully because Nintendo may delete or replace data on the target depending on the selected option. Keep both consoles powered and connected until the wizard confirms completion.
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Digital games and their saves
Digital games are tied to the downloaded-content transfer. When the System Transfer completes its card and account stages, the downloaded software and its associated save data move with the transferred content. Update data and add-on content stored in the Nintendo 3DS folder are included in the PC-copy method as well.
Do not try to solve a digital-game move by copying individual save files in a file manager. The supported procedure is the System Transfer, because it coordinates the encrypted card content with the eShop account and NNID information.
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Physical Game Cards and cartridge saves
For a retail 3DS game, insert the original Game Card into the new handheld. Nintendo’s support guidance states that game progress—such as completed levels and collected items—is saved to the Game Card. A System Transfer does not turn that cartridge save into a standalone file on the target’s SD card.
Some Game Cards save SpotPass and StreetPass information to the SD card or system memory. That information is distinct from the core progress stored on the cartridge, so do not assume that every piece of game-related data follows the same path.
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Nintendo’s Save Data Transfer Tool is for a specific conversion: moving a retail game’s save to that game’s downloadable version.
- Install or open the Save Data Transfer Tool as directed by Nintendo and connect the system to the internet.
- Insert the retail Game Card containing the save. The tool requires the original card during the operation.
- Follow the tool’s prompts to transfer the save to the downloadable version.
- Wait until the tool reports completion before removing the Game Card or turning off the system.
The operation is not a backup. Nintendo states that the tool transfers save data rather than copying it; once transferred, the original save is deleted. It cannot move a downloadable save back to a retail card, and it cannot move a save between two copies that use the same format.
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The internet portion of System Transfer moves the Nintendo eShop account, NNID and friend list. This is why both systems need network access and why manually registering the old NNID on the target beforehand is the wrong order. Let the transfer associate the account as part of its own process.
The transfer does not make the source and target interchangeable. Once the operation is complete, use the target as the continuing system and follow Nintendo’s instructions for any remaining source-system reset or disposal decision.
Troubleshooting by symptom
The transfer wizard does not offer wireless transfer
Check the source card’s capacity. Wireless transfer is the category Nintendo specifies for cards of 4 GB or smaller. For a card larger than 4 GB, use the PC-copy or save-data-only option shown by the wizard.
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The source is an original 3DS and the target is a New 3DS
Expect different card formats: the original system uses an SD card and the New 3DS-family target uses microSD. Select Copy via PC, turn the systems off, and copy the complete Nintendo 3DS folder to a blank target microSD card.
The target already has an NNID
Stop before starting the transfer and review Nintendo’s instructions for the target’s existing account. The transfer can overwrite target NNID setup, so do not proceed on the assumption that both accounts will merge.
Downloaded games appear to be missing
For a PC transfer, verify that the entire Nintendo 3DS folder—not a selected subfolder—was copied to the root of the blank target microSD card. Also confirm that the account portion of System Transfer completed and that the target is using the card you prepared.
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Confirm that you inserted the same Game Card used on the old system. Core progress is stored on the cartridge, not transferred as a digital save. If the game was converted from retail to downloadable format, use the Save Data Transfer Tool rules instead.
The Save Data Transfer Tool was interrupted
Do not remove the Game Card or power off while the tool is operating. Nintendo warns that interruption can corrupt or permanently lose the save. If an interruption has already occurred, avoid repeatedly retrying actions that could overwrite the remaining data and consult Nintendo’s support guidance for that tool.
Final pre-transfer checklist
- Both the source and target 3DS-family handhelds are present.
- Both systems are charged, preferably with an AC adapter connected.
- Both systems are connected to wireless broadband and updated if prompted.
- The target’s NNID has not been registered ahead of the transfer.
- Target photos and recordings have been backed up if they matter.
- You know whether the source card is 4 GB or smaller or larger than 4 GB.
- A PC, reader or adapter and a blank target microSD card are ready for the PC-copy method.
- A size #0 cross-head Phillips screwdriver is available if the target’s card compartment requires it.
- You know whether each game is digital or on a physical Game Card.
- You will not remove a card or power off during System Transfer or Save Data Transfer Tool processing.
The practical decision
For a 4 GB-or-smaller source card, use the built-in local wireless System Transfer and allow up to two hours. For a larger card, choose PC copy when you want the complete downloaded library, using the full Nintendo 3DS folder on a blank target microSD card; choose save-data-only when the wizard offers it and you only need saves. Digital-game saves follow the downloaded-content path. Physical-game progress stays on its cartridge, and retail-to-downloadable conversion is handled separately by the one-way Save Data Transfer Tool.
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