Nintendo announced Virtual Game Cards, a new system that allows digital copies of single-player Switch games to be lent between consoles, and said the feature will also work on the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2.
What Virtual Game Cards do
Virtual Game Cards are virtual cartridges that can be transferred from one Nintendo Switch to another, enabling players to share digital purchases without the need to set a primary console or grant special authorizations.
The transfer requires both consoles to be on the same Wi‑Fi network. While a Virtual Game Card is lent, the original console cannot run that game.
Sharing through family groups
Games can also be shared via a Nintendo Account Family Group, but those loans have stricter limits: only one game can be lent at a time through the family group, and the loan lasts 14 days. After that period the game automatically returns to the originating library.
Nintendo said Virtual Game Cards will appear automatically after a purchase in the Nintendo eShop and will not carry any additional cost.
Scope and timing
The company clarified the system applies only to single‑player titles; multiplayer games will still require each player to own their own copy.
Nintendo also confirmed the sharing feature will be supported on the Nintendo Switch 2. The next‑generation console is scheduled for an official announcement on April 2, 2025, and Nintendo said Virtual Game Cards will be released around the same time via a software update.
Source
The information was reported by The Verge.
