UPDATE 24/4/25: Nintendo has eliminated various warning notifications indicating that new games for the Switch 2 would not support cloud saves.

As mentioned previously, these notifications appeared for the Switch 2 versions of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. They have now been removed, with an updated message stating:

“Save data created in the second save data slot for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition cannot be transferred to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on Nintendo Switch.”

Other titles that initially displayed similar alerts regarding the absence of cloud save functionality, like Donkey Kong Bananza and Super Mario Party Jamboree + Jamboree TV, have also had these warnings removed.

ORIGINAL STORY 17/4/25: The Switch 2 versions of both Zelda games will not support cloud saves for data backup, and the reason for this limitation remains unclear.

On the store pages for Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on the Switch 2, a disclaimer states: “Please note: this software does not support the Nintendo Switch Online paid membership’s Save Data Cloud backup feature.”

This disclaimer does not appear on the pages for other Switch 2 games, such as Super Mario Party Jamboree, Metroid Prime 4, or Kirby and the Forgotten Land, raising questions as to why it exclusively affects the Zelda titles.

Interestingly, this disclaimer is present only on the US and EU store pages, while the Japanese page continues to indicate that a Nintendo Switch Online paid membership is required for using the save data storage service.

An observation from a user on ResetEra highlights the issue: players can transfer their saved game data from the original Switch to use with the Switch 2 Edition, yet they will be unable to create a new cloud save moving forward.

Moreover, players who start a new game with the Switch 2 Edition will also be unable to back up their save files. The reason why this limitation applies uniquely to the Zelda franchise, rather than other titles, is still unknown.

The Switch 2 editions of existing games do offer numerous enhancements. For example, the Zelda games feature improved visual performance, along with a revamped app that includes achievements and a new system for repairing equipment.

In the UK, these fully updated editions for the new console are priced at £65, with all data included on the game cartridge—as clarified by Nintendo to clear up previous confusion. However, it is worth noting that Breath of the Wild will not include the original game’s downloadable content on the Switch 2.