Switch cloud saves unsupported in New Horizons

[Justin]

A French interview has confirmed what many of us suspected would be the case: cloud saves on the Switch will not be supported by New Horizons due to concerns of "manipulating time". Presumably they're referring to duplication issues, like giving an item to a friend and then re-loading from the cloud save or something. This could also be read as something to do with blocking time traveling, but I highly doubt that -- it's probably just a translation issue. (Japanese --> English --> French --> English possibly!)

Google Translate, but it's not a complex question so should be accurate enough:

With the advent of cloud saves and automatic backup, how will you handle Mr. Resetti's interventions?

HN : New Horizons will not be compatible with cloud backup , to avoid manipulating time, which remains one of the founding concepts of the series.

https://www.gamekult.com/jeux/animal-crossing-switch-3050879505/test.html

They also dodged the amiibo question in terms of any details, but essentially implied they will be compatible somehow given how many there are.

 

[KittHaven]

That is incredibly disappointing, especially as your island is supposedly saved to your Switch itself! If it gets broken that would mean you'd lose everything. I hope it saves to the SD card instead, as that's what I'm using as I only get digital games. But even then, if the SD card was destroyed and you hadn't backed it up for a while...

I don't have Switch Online yet but I am planning on getting it in March when New Horizons releases for the online.. would have been great if backups were included.

 

[Ossiran]

Definitely expected. This is one title I definitely figured wouldn't have cloud back-up, at least not for a long time. Maybe a future update will add it when the game's been out for a long time, but definitely not at launch.

 

[Snowesque]

♫♪ It all returns to nothing ♪♫

 

[Justin]

That is incredibly disappointing, especially as your island is supposedly saved to your Switch itself! If it gets broken that would mean you'd lose everything. I hope it saves to the SD card instead, as that's what I'm using as I only get digital games. But even then, if the SD card was destroyed and you hadn't backed it up for a while...

I don't have Switch Online yet but I am planning on getting it in March when New Horizons releases for the online.. would have been great if backups were included.

That's correct. Every Switch game saves to the internal storage, it's not possible to save to an SD card unfortunately. This was probably done in part to reduce cheating as retrieving the save file from an SD card to plug into a save editor would have been easier.

 

[Seastar]

I expected this just like I'm also expecting it to not be supported for Pokemon Sword and Shield. They care more about stopping cheating caused from it than protecting our precious save data, and it makes me sad.

 

[Stevey Queen]

I am not sure why they even offer cloud saves when it seems like a lot of their big games don't even support it.

I can sorta understand Splatoon 2 (not really but whatever) but I don't get it for ACNH. Item duping isn't really the biggest deal in the world. Not a good enough reason to justify not supporting cloud saves. I was hoping cloud saves would be supported because it's going to suck if my switch breaks and my town is just gone, just like that.

 

[Bcat]

My French is a little rusty but I can understand the gist of what they’re saying. Maybe a native French speaker can offer better insight, but here’s some tidbits I picked up on:

-There will not be a real life phone app to connect to the nook phone, but like they will draw on the switch online app for voice chat.
-You normally play the game docked but they’re taking full advantage of all functions of the switch.
-They’ve been attentive to fan reactions and watched the Direct reactions in the NY store
-Reiterating custom designs are back like in new leaf
-Reiterating no direct link to pocket camp, and they don’t want players to choose one game over another (?)
-they’re thinking about both adults and kids playing the game and how they can adapt playing to their schedules while still keeping the spirit of animal crossing. They want to implement Something similar to the early bird and night owl ordinances I think.
-you’re able to see kk in concert every Saturday!

Feel free to add on or correct me if I’ve misunderstood something.

 

[Shellzilla_515]

Really? If that's the case, then what's the point of having cloud backup saves in the first place, especially when you already paid for the online service? Why does Nintendo have to worry about the minority of the group doing this...

 

[mintellect]

this makes me really upset. "cheating concerns"? animal crossing is not a competitive game. if someone chooses to mess with their town it ruins no one's experience but their own. animal crossing is a game that needs cloud saves more than many other games on the switch due to how much time it can take to accumulate progress. if cloud saves can't be used for this game, what are they meant to be used for? this is genuinely confusing to me.

 

[Neechan]

My French is a little rusty but I can understand the gist of what they’re saying. Maybe a native French speaker can offer better insight, but here’s some tidbits I picked up on:

-There will not be a real life phone app to connect to the nook phone, but like they will draw on the switch online app for voice chat.
-You normally play the game docked but they’re taking full advantage of all functions of the switch.
-They’ve been attentive to fan reactions
-Reiterating custom designs are back like in new leaf
-Reiterating no direct link to pocket camp, and they don’t want players to choose one game over another (?)
-they’re thinking about both adults and kids playing the game and how they can adapt playing to their schedules while still keeping the spirit of animal crossing. They want to implement Something similar to the early bird and night owl ordinances I think.
-you’re able to see kk in concert every Sunday!

Feel free to add on or correct me if I’ve misunderstood something.

Seeing K.K. Slider on a Sunday? Shouldn’t that be Saturday?

(And seeing them reconfirm no direct connection to pc makes me really think none of the items that were released in that title specifically are going to make it in)

That really does blow that cloud saves aren’t supported (I guess I’ll have to mod my switch if that doesn’t change before then)

 

[visibleghost]

(And seeing them reconfirm no direct connection to pc makes me really think none of the items that were released in that title specifically are going to make it in)

why would it mean that? i definitely think we will see pocket camp items in new horizons. maybe not all of them but a lot

 

[Mink777]

K.K. in concert? I guess that means they may bring back a theater into the game. The real question is where will it be.

 

[Bcat]

Seeing K.K. Slider on a Sunday? Shouldn’t that be Saturday?

You're right! It does say Saturday. I got the days mixed up. Fixed it now

 

[Burumun]

Not surprised, and I also don't really mind. I don't get why everyone's so worried about their save getting corrupted or something - yes, it does happen, but very rarely.

Also glad to hear Amiibo will be compatible in some way.

And thanks to Bcat for translating everything else!

 

[lars708]

I mean 3DS also didn't support cloud saves because the service didn't exist so we'll probably be fine but this does suck...

Guess I'll have to be extra very super duper careful with my system now when I have that save file after 2000 hours of gameplay sitting on my Switch.

 

[Stevey Queen]

I mean 3DS also didn't support cloud saves because the service didn't exist so we'll probably be fine but this does suck...

Guess I'll have to be extra very super duper careful with my system now when I have that save file after 2000 hours of gameplay sitting on my Switch.

Yeah but the 3ds saves to the game cartridge.

Your new horizon town and switchs lifetime are intertwined now. And with a game like animal crossing where people can easily invest 1000s of hours into it, I can see this being a problem.

 

[Seastar]

Yeah but the 3ds saves to the game cartridge.

Your new horizon town and switchs lifetime are intertwined now. And with a game like animal crossing where people can easily invest 1000s of hours into it, I can see this being a problem.

You make a good point. I can no longer use my original 3DS unless I replace the battery. Since my New Leaf copy was physical, I still have the town but it's being played on a different 3DS. The Switch will not work that way so if it breaks, the town is just gone.

 

[Nilesse]

I was sort of expecting this but it's still a bummer.
Animal Crossing is supposed to be relaxing, cloud saves would be a great peace of mind to make sure hours of work aren't lost.

Cloud saves are quite a big thing for the Switch community, to see it botched like this feels like a disconnect between Nintendo and its customers.

 

[Bcat]

You make a good point. I can no longer use my original 3DS unless I replace the battery. Since my New Leaf copy was physical, I still have the town but it's being played on a different 3DS. The Switch will not work that way so if it breaks, the town is just gone.

there's also the fact that if you want another island you have to buy a whole new switch- a pretty big investment as opposed to just buying another cartridge like you could on the 3ds.