In the original Tomodachi Life, QR codes were the primary way to share Miis, allowing players to fill their islands with celebrity lookalikes, favorite anime characters, or creations from other users.

Players want to share complex character designs that are difficult to create from scratch, especially with new customization tools like makeup and advanced face painting, not all players have the time or skill to create complex, detailed, or celebrity Miis from scratch; QR codes provided an easy alternative, allowing them to instantly import well-crafted characters.

Unlike transferring a generic Mii from Mii Maker, scanning a, 3DS-style QR code in the game transfers not just the appearance, but also the Mii’s name, voice, clothing, and initial personality traits, giving them an immediate, unique life on the new island.

Similar to Animal Crossing: New Horizons utilizing a smartphone app to scan QR codes, Tomodachi Life could, and should, use the Nintendo Switch Online app to bring this feature to the Switch, bypassing the lack of a built-in camera.

As Nintendo has restricted online sharing, QR code support is the most logical, non-internet-dependent method for sharing creations between friends, as was done on the 3DS.