this post was submitted on 30 Apr 2025

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Virtual Game Cards are now Live (www.nintendo.com)

submitted 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago) by Kelly@programming.dev to c/nintendo@lemmy.world

9 comments fedilink hide all child comments

System update information:

https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/22525/~/nintendo-switch-system-update-information#current

Further documentation on managing/sharing games:

top 9 comments

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[–] memphis@sopuli.xyz 7 points 6 hours ago (2 children)

So, I have two consoles. A regular Switch that I use docked only, and a Lite for portable. Switching between them was always cumbersome due to cloud saves (they fail 1/20 times so I got used to always updating them manually), but this adds yet another step (it's actually 4 screens to go through, with loading between two of them).

Not to mention, if the console with the virtual card is offline, and you wanna play the game on the other console – you can't. If you or Nintendo are having connection issues, you can lose access to your downloaded digital games.

Another problem is if you lose physical access to a console with virtual game cards on it. The games are then gone with the console.

I've been a strong Nintendo supporter (monetarily) for years, having played through just over 100 games in this setup, so this is very, very disappointing to me.

[–] Phelpssan@lemmy.world 5 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago) (1 children)

I haven't done the update yet, but supposedly there's an option to stay with the old system if you prefer that.

System Settings -> User Settings -> Online License Settings -> Use Online License

[–] memphis@sopuli.xyz 2 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Unfortunately it doesn't work like that. With this setting on, your primary console can now be locked out of games if you're caught offline and without the virtual card. That wasn't possible before.

[–] slimerancher@lemmy.world 1 points 38 minutes ago* (last edited 38 minutes ago)

What about keeping the virtual card on primary system and playing online on secondary system?

With the Use Online License setting, this should be possible.

[–] slimerancher@lemmy.world 2 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Interesting...

As someone who don't plan to "switch" games daily, my main usecase is just to have some games on one console and some on other, and then play them whenever without worrying about if I am online or not, and I am really happy with their solution (without having used it yet, since I only have one Switch atm).

But I agree, that for someone like you, this might add more steps, and can prove to be quite annoying if doing it daily / regularly. Though I don't understand your point about being offline. If you are using the current primary / secondary console, then you can't play on secondary console unless you are online, right? And in the virtual game case, you just have to online when transferring. Or am I missing something there?

About losing access to your console, I am sure there would be a way to deal with it. Remove access remotely or something. If it's not available yet, they will probably add it sooner or later. But then again, you ever know with these companies.

[–] memphis@sopuli.xyz 3 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Though I don't understand your point about being offline. If you are using the current primary / secondary console, then you can't play on secondary console unless you are online, right?

I could have explained better. My docked Switch is set as secondary console, which forces online checks. That's fine because I never take it outside. My Switch Lite is set as primary console, which means it (used to be) able to play any downloaded games, no questions asked – if the connectivity check fails, it will just warn you that your cloud save status couldn't be verified.

Say I have a virtual game card of Suika Game loaded in my docked Switch. I now need to leave home, so I close the game and bring my Switch Lite with me which has Suika Game downloaded. During lunch at work, I open my Switch Lite and start up the game. That used to be fine, but now there's instead a prompt to move the virtual game card from my docked Switch at home to this one, which I can't do because I don't have internet at work. I forgot my digital copy of Suika Game at home even though it's downloaded on the console I'm holding.

This is a hypothetical example, and sorry for the wall of text, but it's a needlessly complicated system that is a net negative for the user.

[–] slimerancher@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

Ah okay, makes sense.

In order to allow my use case, they removed your use case. Maybe this virtual card thing should have been in addition to the current system.

Hope they figure something out (or people find some easy loophole), I would be really annoyed if I were in your shoes too.

[–] MelodiousFunk@slrpnk.net 2 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

This seems overly complicated, but at least on the surface more permissive than most digital storefronts. Will be interesting to see how this plays out. Thanks for the info.

[–] semperverus@lemmy.world 3 points 4 hours ago

Steam's family sharing and in general even just their single account across multiple devices system plus offline mode has this beat into the ground.