This Switch 2 news will change how I use my console completely, and I can't wait
Sharing digital games is changing


When it comes to the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, which will get a full presentation in the form of a Nintendo Direct later this week, featuring games and many more details, it's easy to get excited. The long-awaited console promises to be basically the Switch but better, with improved performance and features.
Still, I wasn't expecting Nintendo to impress me with a feature that's coming to both the Switch 2 and the existing family of Switches when it aired a different Nintendo Direct last week. In amongst a barrage of news about some 30-odd games coming to the Switch, there was an interesting segment about lending digital games.
For a long time, Nintendo's digital game system has been a little bit arcane. Those of us with two Switches will know the interesting complexity of deciding which one should be your "primary" system and which your secondary, in order to let a family member or partner play the games you've bought without constant internet connection checks and asterisks attached.
It's workable if you figure it out, but the way Nintendo created limits on who you could let use your account was fiddly and frustrating. Now, it's changing that with a new system arriving in late April, and I can't wait.
In effect, you'll now be able to lend digital games between the Switch consoles that you own, including Switch 2 when it arrives. As well as being owned by your account, then, a game will also be active on a given console.
That means that console can play it without strings attached, and you don't have to worry about (for example) a lack of connection on a long-haul flight locking you out from your secondary Switch. Nintendo's calling the system "Virtual Game Card", and you can tell it's still a little complex from the fact that its video on the topic is over two minutes long.
There's also a system to let you lend digital games to other accounts entirely, for up to two weeks at a time, which is a nice bonus. All in all, while there may well be some strings attached that only become clear once it goes live, this seems like a win-win, where gamers get some new tools without any downsides.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
It's great that it's coming into force before the Switch 2 arrives, too, to let people get used to it ahead of time on their existing hardware. I'll certainly be taking advantage of it once it's live since my partner's Switch does indeed lock me out of playing games on occasion if she forgets what she's got open.
There's no proof that this new system came about because of the upcoming release of the Switch 2, but it sure feels credible for it to have been the prompt. In that light, I'm buzzing to find out what else Nintendo might be freshening up and updating for its new console – and I'm looking forward to sharing games more easily than before.
Max is T3's Staff Writer for the Tech section – with years of experience reporting on tech and entertainment. He's also a gaming expert, both with the games themselves and in testing accessories and consoles, having previously flexed that expertise at Pocket-lint as a features editor.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
-
Nothing teases yet another new phone, so soon after (3a)
The teasing starts again, with new devices from CMF expected
By Chris Hall Published
-
Samsung wants to turn the Z Flip phone into a Nintendo DS
A patent discovery shows an interesting accessory for the Z Flip foldable
By Rik Henderson Published
-
This PS5 Pro game proves the best part of next-gen isn't what you expected
Ray-traced reflections might be a mirage
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Nintendo officially reveals two key Switch 2 features – even if it didn't mean to
Its latest app and marketing pages unveil interesting updates on the Nintendo Switch 2
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Aston Martin just revealed the ultimate home racing simulator
This carbon racing sim by Aston Martin costs as much as a real car
By Alistair Charlton Published
-
I tried a cutting-edge Asus gaming tablet, but it's left me conflicted
The Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2025) is impressive, but also weird
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
I didn't expect this game to blow me away on PS5 Pro, but it looks unreal
Assassin's Creed Shadows is a pleasant surprise
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Nintendo Switch Online could get GameCube games next, as part of Switch 2 upgrade
Online evidence emerges to suggest Switch Online could expand again
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Nintendo Switch 2 price and release plans predicted, following claims by ex-employee
Pricing details and a release window have been suggested by industry experts
By Rik Henderson Published
-
The 5 Xbox handheld features that would make rumoured console an instabuy
If Xbox's handheld console is real, I want these features
By Max Freeman-Mills Published