As a part of the latest Nintendo Direct, Nintendo announced a new function for Nintendo Switch consoles; the Virtual Game Card... But what is it, and how does it work?
The Current Issue with Digital:
With a standard physical copy of a game, players are able to swap them out at will, and lend them to friends and family. It is a standard piece of physical media, and there are no limitations on who can use it and when. In today's world however, more and more players are purchasing digital copies of games instead, and with that comes limitations. Digital purchases are tied to the account which bought the game or piece of media, and it can only be used by other users on the same console as the digital license holder.
This is how all console platforms operate in today's world, with some allowing an account to be registered to (typically) two consoles at once. With the Nintendo Switch however, things are a bit different.
On Switch, users are allowed only one main console, and with the handheld nature of the Switch, that can present a problem. The Nintendo Switch Lite is a handheld only console, and more portable friendly than a standard Switch, the OLED Switch launched in 2021 and gave players another reason to purchase a new model, and the Nintendo Switch 2 once again gives players and their families another opportunity to have more than one Switch model. The Switch isn't fully a "single console per family" console, and with games being locked to a single Switch, that causes problems. Games bought on one Switch will be locked to that Switch, and users and families would typically have to plan out where they want to purchase a game, and which console to keep it on.
Well, Nintendo's solution to this problem is the new Virtual Game Card system.
How Virtual Game Cards Work:
The new Virtual Game Card system is a format that emulates that of physical media. Every digital game you purchase acts as a "Virtual Game Card," and can be freely swapped in and out. On the surface level this doesn't seem much different than closing out of a digital game and opening a new one, but the unique properties of this system is what it allows you to do with more than one platform.
By using the new Virtual Game Card settings, users can allocate all of their digital purchases between their Nintendo Switch consoles, and even share them with other users connected by their family settings. This means that you can not only choose when to play a game on your Switch, Switch Lite, or Switch 2, but you can also let other family members "borrow" games for the time being. Of course you will not be able to play a game that is currently being lent out to someone else, but the same can be said for physical media as well; one game card cannot be played by two people at the same time.
Using this new system does require an internet connection for the initial transfer of a game, but the game can be played offline once the transfer is completed. Additionally a time limit of 14 days is also put into place, where the user who borrowed the game will automatically have it "returned" once the time is up. Users can specific a shorter time to lend the game out if they wish, but 14 days is the maximum a game can be lent out at a time. For additional time, the process needs to be redone.
How Many Family Members Are Allowed?
Although this Virtual Game Card system allows you to let family members borrow games, there is still a limit. Only 8 Accounts can be connected within a Family Group, and Nintendo expects these users to be actual family members. This is the same system used for the Family Plan version of Nintendo Switch Online, and for parental controls as well. It is not intended for your friends to join, meaning you still cannot lend games to friends.
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