Questions about getting a second island

[Livia]

I’m thinking about getting a second switch so I can have a second island. On my first switch I have 2 Nintendo accounts and 2 characters on my island. My main account Lia which is where I’ve purchased the game, and my second account Ophelia. Do I need to make a third account to play on another switch, or can I use one of my other accounts? I would be okay with using Ophelias account and buying a second copy of the game if I had to. Is that possible or would it mess up my save on my first switch?

I’ve been trying to figure this out but I keep reading about primary and secondary consoles and it’s confusing me. I read that if I use the same account on 2 switches that I have to be connected to the internet to play which wouldn’t work for me. I also want to trade stuff between my islands preferably without buying another online subscription.

Can someone who has 2 islands please explain how I would do all of this?

 

[Debeers]

We have 2 switches, but don’t have same account on two islands. Generally speaking, our main account (which has the switches registered under it) can only play on one switch at a time if the two switches are both connected online (no matter what game it is playing). Also, I heard there some hurdles to deal with if you have digital copy of the game (something about primary and secondary devices), so we ended up bought two cartridges.

Also another thing I can’t remember clearly, it seems on secondary device, only the main account can play certain shared digital games but I forgot the circumstances...

Post automatically merged: Oct 9, 2020

As for trading between islands, you can use local play mode which does not require online subscription.

I think I read somewhere else that you can use same accounts on two islands. But I haven’t tried yet.

 

[maria110]

We have two consoles and two copies of the game, so two different islands. My Nintendo Online account is a family account. There are 4 playable characters on the islands.

Two of us can be playing on the Switches on the local network at the same time and visit each other, but if we want to go online and visit someone else or trade items, only one of us can do that at a time.

 

[Debeers]

I think if you are using different accounts on different island, the two different accounts can visit some other island online at the same time. They can visit each other online too (based on our experience, we have the family account with 4 registered users). But we don’t have a same character on two islands. I am not sure if that makes some difference.

 

[maria110]

I think if you are using different accounts on different island, the two different accounts can visit some other island online at the same time. They can visit each other online too (based on our experience, we have the family account with 4 registered users). But we don’t have a same character on two islands. I am not sure if that makes some difference.

Interesting! I have not been able to figure out how to do this (go online with two accounts at the same time). I think it's because I haven't been able to figure out how to link a different email address to the family subscription that is under my email address. Nintendo Online confuses me. :-(

 

[Your Local Wild Child]

I have 2 switches in my household (one is shared). The main account I use on my personal switch lite is the same as the account on the shared switch. In both cases, my character is the island representative. I am free to have both accounts interact with each other on local play (but not online). Hope that helps!

 

[Debeers]

Interesting! I have not been able to figure out how to do this (go online with two accounts at the same time). I think it's because I haven't been able to figure out how to link a different email address to the family subscription that is under my email address. Nintendo Online confuses me. :-(

You have to create a Nintendo account for each user/character (that should be free), then added that account to your family membership. That process is very confusing, I almost immediately forgot it once we had all accounts added in the family membership!