Nintendo has unveiled a new feature for Switch and Switch 2 that’ll let players share their digital games with Family Group members in the same way they might swap a physical cartridges. It’s called Virtual Game Card and it’s initially launching for Switch 1 in “late April”.
Here’s how it works: once the feature becomes available, any digital purchase made will be added to the associated Switch as a Virtual Game Card. By default, any registered users on the main console can play the game, just as they would with any other digital purchase. But there’s obviously more to it than that.
Virtual Game Cards are managed on a separate screen, with players able to chose whether they’re considered ‘loaded’ or ‘ejected’. An ejected Virtual Game Card can be played on a second Switch that’s owned by the same main account holder – with users able to freely eject and load cartridges between up to two owned machines. Nintendo notes local communication with the other console is required to enable the feature between the two for the first time.
Additionally, however, cartridges can be lent to anyone within a Nintendo Account Family Group, which can support up to eight Nintendo Account users. Again, this initially requires a Virtual Game Card’s main purchaser to connect to the Family Group member’s console locally, after which it’s simply a case of choosing the title being lent and who it’s being lent to.
Only one game at a time can be lent to each member within a Family Group only for a total of 14 days. After the two weeks comes to an end, a Virtual Game Card will be automatically returned to their original owner. Expect the Virtual Game Card system to also be available on Switch 2 when it releases later this year.
And speaking of which, we’re less than a week away form Nintendo’s long-awaited Switch 2 Direct, which should provide details on everything from launch titles to a release date for Nintendo’s hugely anticipated next console. Things kick off next Wednesday, 2nd April, at 2pm in the UK – and we’ll be keeping tabs on all the important stuff with fingers and eyes.
