Nintendo has announced a major change in how digital games will work on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.
Launching via a system update in late April, Nintendo says ‘Virtual Game Cards’ will make digital games easier to use, and easier to lend to other Switch owners.
After the update, digital games on Switch will appear as Virtual Game Cards in a dedicated screen, where users can ‘load’ or ‘eject’ them from their library, as if they were physical cards, whether they belong to a member of the same Nintendo Account family group, or a second console tied to your account.
This will then allow users to lend games to other users wirelessly, via a one-off local wireless connection.
Users will only be able to lend one game at a time, for two weeks, after which the titles will automatically return to the purchasing user. Save data will be stored after this point.
“This optional feature allows you to view virtual game cards or eject them from your console,” Nintendo said. “The digital game can also be lent to a Nintendo Account family group member’s console via local wireless connection”
“Games that you lend can then be played on a Nintendo Account family group member’s console for two weeks, after which the game will be automatically returned to you. This feature will be available on Nintendo Switch starting late April via a hardware system update. Additionally, virtual game cards will also work with Nintendo Switch 2 at launch.”
