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[Power Pro]

One of the most frustrating things about a console launch prior are those unanswered questions the company still hasn't answered because they don't want people to know for some reason, or because they don't think it's important enough to address. For the Switch 2, my most pressing issue though is kind of important and I don't know I'm a minority or if anyone else is also concerned about this issue.

Will I be able to have my Nintendo account use both the Switch 1 and Switch 2 as a "primary console"??

If the Switch 2 was completely backward compatible with confirmed no issues on 100% of games, then I'd probably move my account over and box up the Switch 1. However, they've made it clear that the system is flawlessly compatible with Switch 1 games. I've already seen some games on the known issues list that are titles that I own on Switch 1, so I know I'll want to keep it around for the foreseeable future. I'm a special case I admit, I collect Switch games, I have almost 400 physical games alone, in addition to the digital stuff I have bought. As an example, for Playstation Network, every Playstation generation is a unique console type. I can have the same account I've had for years have a PS3, PS4, and PS5 as different primary consoles. No idea if Nintendo is going to work that way, or treat the Switch 2 as a replacement for Switch 1, and honestly, I wouldn't put it past them to do something like that. Can't have someone using the same Switch 1 game on 2 different systems.

Has Nintendo addressed this at all, and I just completely missed it, or is it still up in the air?

 

[jshackles]

I don't think they've said anything official about this, but all signs point to the Switch 2 being treated like any other Switch system in their ecosystem. However, it seems like Nintendo is dropping the concept of "primary console" all together, since the new Virtual Game Card system kind of makes the idea irrelevant. You can either have your digital games on Switch 1, or Switch 2 (if you're signed in), but not on both at the same time.

With the Switch 1 you can opt out of that system, but I doubt you'll be able to do that for Switch 2.

 

[Power Pro]

I don't think they've said anything official about this, but all signs point to the Switch 2 being treated like any other Switch system in their ecosystem. However, it seems like Nintendo is dropping the concept of "primary console" all together, since the new Virtual Game Card system kind of makes the idea irrelevant. You can either have your digital games on Switch 1, or Switch 2 (if you're signed in), but not on both at the same time.

With the Switch 1 you can opt out of that system, but I doubt you'll be able to do that for Switch 2.

It's not just digital games though, it's DLC. If I'm using both systems, I'd like to have access to any DLC I have for some games on both. I doubt you can "virtual card" share DLC for a game. This is why I always buy physical games with DLC on cart/disc...fucking hate digital stuff.

 

[jshackles]

It's not just digital games though, it's DLC. If I'm using both systems, I'd like to have access to any DLC I have for some games on both. I doubt you can "virtual card" share DLC for a game. This is why I always buy physical games with DLC on cart/disc...fucking hate digital stuff.

For what it's worth, virtual game cards support DLC as well:

Article:

The digital games and DLC you purchase through Nintendo eShop are treated as virtual game cards on your Nintendo Switch console. This allows you to digitally load and eject your virtual game cards like you would a physical game card—for example, if you own two Nintendo Switch consoles, you can eject a virtual game card from one console and then load it on the second console.

When a virtual game card for a game or DLC is loaded onto a console, it can be played even if the console is not connected to the internet, and other users who are on that console can also play the game or DLC.

Source: https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/67891/~/virtual-game-card-guide

When managing the virtual cards, it looks like this:

In this photo the user has DLC for Mario Kart, Pokemon, and Smash Bros but doesn't actually own the full digital games, just the DLC. So these can be bounced back and forth between systems just like digital games.