pCloud is a natural backend for JKSV because it speaks WebDAV, the same protocol JKSV uses to upload save backups to remote storage. Point JKSV at pCloud once, and your Switch saves can leave the console automatically after every backup. This guide covers the practical setup, the pCloud addresses to use, and one important plan limitation to know before you rely on it. Install JKSV from the download page first. This article sits in our cloud backup hub alongside the generic WebDAV guide.
Disclosure first
Disclosure: the pCloud link in this article is an affiliate link. If you sign up through our pCloud link, this site may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The setup steps below are identical whether you use that link or sign up directly, and the plan limitation described next applies either way. We mention pCloud because its WebDAV support genuinely fits JKSV’s cloud backup design, not the other way round.
You will need a pCloud account, JKSV installed on a Switch 1 with Atmosphère, and your SD card accessible so you can edit the configuration file. The general method is the one from our WebDAV setup guide; this page only covers what is specific to pCloud.
The plan limitation you must know
pCloud supports WebDAV, but since February 11, 2022 that access is limited to paid plans. Free pCloud accounts cannot be used as a JKSV WebDAV backend, no matter how carefully the configuration file is written. This is the single most common reason a pCloud setup fails with correct-looking settings, so check your plan before troubleshooting anything else. pCloud does offer lifetime plans alongside subscriptions, which some save hoarders prefer because a backup archive is a long-term thing.
If paying for pCloud does not suit you, you have honest alternatives: Koofr includes WebDAV on all of its plans, a self-hosted Nextcloud costs only the hardware or server you already have, and Google Drive is natively integrated into JKSV at no extra setup cost beyond the account itself. Those options are weighed in WebDAV providers compared.
The addresses and the config file
For most accounts the WebDAV origin is https://webdav.pcloud.com. Accounts in pCloud’s European region use https://ewebdav.pcloud.com instead. Use the address matching your account region, or authentication will fail even with the right password. Open sd:/config/JKSV/webdav.json on your SD card and set origin to that address, basepath to the folder you want backups in, and username and password to your pCloud credentials, keeping the JSON formatting exact.
Create the destination folder inside pCloud first, using the app or website, so the basepath you write definitely exists. Then launch JKSV with Title Override, back up a small title, and press ZR to upload. The backup travels as a ZIP, because JKSV always uses ZIP for cloud destinations, and it should appear in your pCloud folder within moments.
Making it automatic, and verifying it
Once one manual upload lands correctly, enable the behaviour described in auto-upload saves to the cloud so future backups follow without the extra step, and keep local backups enabled so the SD card still holds its own copy. Verify on two levels: the ZIP visible in pCloud, and, at least once, a real restore of that ZIP back onto the console. A backup system you have never restored from is unproven, whatever provider sits behind it.
If uploads fail, re-check the three pCloud-specific points before anything else: paid plan active, correct regional WebDAV address, and credentials typed exactly. Only then revisit the generic WebDAV troubleshooting steps.
Is pCloud the right backend for you?
pCloud fits players who want a mainstream hosted service, a possible one-off lifetime payment instead of another subscription, and WebDAV that JKSV can use directly. It fits less well if you want a free WebDAV tier or want everything on your own hardware. The cloud versus local strategy will help you decide how much of your archive belongs with any provider at all.
Whichever way you decide, set the backend up once, test it properly, and your JKSV backups stop depending on a single SD card.