Virtual Game Card announced from Nintendo (Switch 1 & 2 Supported)
- Thread starter Thick Thighs Save Lives
- Start date
- News
Fbh
Member
No.
This is basically a system to move around your games between various consoles. But a game can never be active on more than one console at a time.
If you "lend" a game to one of your kids you won't be able to use it on your system until they "return" it (or after 2 weeks, when the license transfer will be reverted automatically)
You also can't lend a single game to various consoles (but you can lend different games to different consoles)
There's no physical component to this.
The virtual game cards are just a cute way to represent your digital licenses.
When you "lend" a game you are basically doing a temporary transfer of your digital license to another system. It also automatically reverts after 2 weeks.
Last edited:
00_Zer0
Member
I am at work right now, so can't watch Nintendo explanation of this. I own two Switches. One for me and one for my son. He uses my main Switch so there are no online checks. I buy all games on the main Switch and we can play all games and even online games at the same time because I have a Nintendo Online Family account. Can we still play games like Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon 3 at the same time online together, without having to own 2 digital copies?
RoadHazard
Gold Member
No, this has no physical component. It's just a way to lend out your digital license, digitally. There's no game card. That's why they're calling it a "virtual game card", because it's like lending out a game card but virtually (digitally).
jshackles
Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the capability to make the world's first enhanced store. Steam will be that store. Better than it was before.
They didn't really say if this was replacing their existing system, or was just in addition to.
If it's replacing the existing sharing system, then no you'd need two copies. If it's in addition to, then you'd be able to keep doing what you're doing now.
Sleepwalker
Member
Your account is primary on your ps5 pro, thats not what I meant.
So imagine this scenario: your friend buys AC shadows on a burner account (not his main)
- he makes the burner account primary on his xbox and plays the game on his main
At the same time he wants to share the game with me to play on my xbox so he gives me the burner details, i put it on my console and not make it primary on my console.
so I log into the burner account, download the game, then I switch over to my main account without logging out of the burner and I am able to play the game on my main, as long as the burner is logged into my console.
At the same time my friend is also playing the game on his main without being logged into the burner.
So in this scenario 2 accounts are playing a game at the same time on different consoles but the game was purchased by a third account. Basically allowing you to have 2 "primary consoles"
You used to be able to do this on PS4 as a way to circumvent locked games but AFAIK not anymore on PS5
Last edited:
Fbh
Member
Yeah the wording isn't very precise.
It says "when purchasing a digital game it will be loaded into your system as a digital game card". Which would imply that after the update all new digital purchases will use this system, so the old sharing won't be available.
But it's not clear about what will happen to your existing digital games. Will they remain with the current system or will your entire digital library be converted to "digital game cards".
I mean, you can do this too on the Switch with actual physical games.
Either way I miss the Ps3 era when you could activate accounts on like five systems. I was in some buying groups on random forums and we'd buy tons of shit and split the cost by 5, it was awesome.
Last edited:
jshackles
Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the capability to make the world's first enhanced store. Steam will be that store. Better than it was before.
Official page is up:
www.nintendo.com
Virtual Game Cards for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2
The virtual game card feature adds some of the flexibility of physical game cards to your digital game library. Easily share digital games across your systems!
www.nintendo.com
kevboard
Member
if it's a replacement it's for many people a clear downgrade to the old system.
but I almost don't know how they could replace the current system, because how would you handle someone buying a new Switch... say someone has an LCD switch, sells it and buys an OLED a day later... your games still need to work when you log in in that case
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
I don't think this solves much of anything. It sounded cool when they introduced it, but having to go online or sync your systems, and then having a timer on it? Lame.
I just wanna be able to pop the cartridge out, plug it into another system, and just have it work. The memory card should be the thing with the authorization, not the system. That is flexibility.
I just wanna be able to pop the cartridge out, plug it into another system, and just have it work. The memory card should be the thing with the authorization, not the system. That is flexibility.
Tarin02543
Member
I wonder if you can revoke the loan.
LordOcidax
Member
This is a really cool addition, now i can lend my digital games to my nephews.
Probably because they want a limit in how shareable a game is.
It ensures you have to phone home or at least phone the main Switch every 2 weeks. Piracy check of sorts.
Also in a different way it's nice for the owner. They get their game back in 2 weeks without hassle.
I assume the sharing system will continue to improve.
Hideous Snake
Gold Member
Nintendo and anything online related will always be behind. Its absurd how they can do everything right but not online
"If you have two different systems linked to the same Nintendo Account**, you can choose which system to play it on—just like with a physical game card. Simply eject the virtual game card from one system and load it onto the other.
Once a virtual game card is loaded to a system***, not only can you play it without an internet connection, but other user accounts on the system can play, too."
Once a virtual game card is loaded to a system***, not only can you play it without an internet connection, but other user accounts on the system can play, too."
Last edited:
Banjo64
cumsessed
Their current game sharing method is the same as PlayStations and Xbox's and has worked fine for 8 years.
This is entirely about trying to maximise digital game sales in every household where there's more than 1 Switch.
AJUMP23
Parody of actual AJUMP23
And can you loan it again. or do you get 14 days and that is it.
Guardian Monkey
Member
"You can lend one game per account for 14 days (unless the borrower returns it earlier).
After the game is returned the borrower will still have their save data, so they'll be able to start where they left off if they borrow again or purchase the game."
Nintendo has massively overcomplicated this in true style for minimal benefit - and some people to probably be worse off.
The genuine improvement for me as a single Switch user would be if you could loan physical switch games to yourself as a virtual game cart. The 2 week restriction would be an annoying compromise, but it'd be enough for me to go back to physical games.
The genuine improvement for me as a single Switch user would be if you could loan physical switch games to yourself as a virtual game cart. The 2 week restriction would be an annoying compromise, but it'd be enough for me to go back to physical games.
Guardian Monkey
Member
For multiuser families this isn't a bad deal in this case.
Guardian Monkey
Member
They don't want you on physical
Muffdraul
Member
So far Nintendo Switch is my last hold out where I'm sticking with physical. Only reason being, I bought a couple of digital games and they took up so much memory on my Switch I couldn't install anything else. This virtual card thing doesn't really seem to apply to me, I'd never have any use for it. But to me it just sounds like it makes digital more of a pain in the ass than it ever needs to be.
I don't think they really care compared to everyone else killing physical media, just so long as you buy the game and that's working for them.
Perhaps they think 50/50 is too much physical being sold and it's not all grandma wanting to gift a physical product.
If they're trying to convince the physical buyers who like to share games, even just within their household, I'm not sure this changes buying habits. It still doesn't match the simplicity of handing over the physical copy - cue PS4 game sharing video from 2013.
Complistic
Member
Confused, will I need to do this to get my digital games on the Switch 2?
BbMajor7th
Member
Three words: Peak Fucking Nintendo.
onnextflix5
Member
Isn't this just a sneaky way to add drm, it's even worse then all other systems which u can simply login and play from anywhere 
Northeastmonk
Gold Member
some of it sounds cool. Something inside me thinks they'd love to charge you for the conversion.
Last edited:
RCU005
Member
After watching the video several times, this is what I learned/understand:
- Digital games will now be called Virtual Game Cards
- Downloading a Virtual Game Card (digital game) will still be the same as always
- Managing Virtual Game Cards will have their separate, dedicated place
- Ejecting a game card doesn't seem to delete the game, just remove the license from that Nintendo Switch
- You seem to be able to have the game downloaded into several switch devices, but only be able to use it on one at a time.
- You will have to link both consoles (Maybe due to prove that they are both yours or from people you know)
- You can lend up to 8 games at a time, but only one game for each person/switch (eight systems that support the family account)
- The lending period only last 2 weeks (Why? They need to change that).
Question I still have:
If you lend a game, will you be able to still play it while they don't use it, or will you be locked out of that game until the person returns it (or the time expires)? (As if you didn't have the game).
- Digital games will now be called Virtual Game Cards
- Downloading a Virtual Game Card (digital game) will still be the same as always
- Managing Virtual Game Cards will have their separate, dedicated place
- Ejecting a game card doesn't seem to delete the game, just remove the license from that Nintendo Switch
- You seem to be able to have the game downloaded into several switch devices, but only be able to use it on one at a time.
- You will have to link both consoles (Maybe due to prove that they are both yours or from people you know)
- You can lend up to 8 games at a time, but only one game for each person/switch (eight systems that support the family account)
- The lending period only last 2 weeks (Why? They need to change that).
Question I still have:
If you lend a game, will you be able to still play it while they don't use it, or will you be locked out of that game until the person returns it (or the time expires)? (As if you didn't have the game).
Good question. Almost sure you can't play a game lent out because that's the way it works with the loading of games between the 2 systems linked to your account.
Last edited:
EverydayBeast
ChatGPT 0.001
What about a competent UI, for some reason Nintendo doesn't have good history with menus, dashboards and online functions. If you're a Nintendo fan you should be insulted by this shit.
Chittagong
Gold Member
"How to understand digital game licenses even when retarded 101"
bender
What time is it?
I wouldn't think so either as the game owner has to "eject" the virtual game cart. I wonder if the lender can revoke the virtual game cart prior to two weeks without the borrow doing an ejection.
Dacvak
No one shall be brought before our LORD David Bowie without the true and secret knowledge of the Photoshop. For in that time, so shall He appear.
I was hoping this would clear up my question, but it doesn't seem to.Official page is up:
Virtual Game Cards for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2
The virtual game card feature adds some of the flexibility of physical game cards to your digital game library. Easily share digital games across your systems!
I want to know if I can transfer games between my two Switch systems back and forth using just one Switch.
I've got two Switches now, and my buddy uses one of mine. He's able to play my whole library, so long as I'm not actively playing a game with an online connection.
But with this system, it sounds like I'll have to send him the Switch games he wants to play, and then he'll have to send them back; it sounds like I won't be able to just reclaim them.
That would suck if that's the case, since I don't care to keep track of what games he wants to play and shit. He likes browsing my library and trying out random games, and it seems like that won't be possible anymore (unless you're able to freely transfer games back and forth using only one of your two consoles).
Edit: Oh, actually, it looks like you may be able to just keep the current method by opting out of the new one. In which case, this just seems like an added option, which is always welcome! Okay, I'm not worried anymore lol.
Last edited:
LavitzSlambert
Member
I'm going to be skeptical until Nintendo officially confirms the current authentication system will still be functional, for Switch and Switch 2 in the future. If they do this, the floodgates will open for every other platform to implement this as a lockdown on digital games. It's a dangerous precedent, and gamers will not soon forget what Microsoft tried to pull with the Xbone and what Nintendo did to Wii and Wii-U virtual console customers.
ArtHands
Thinks buying more servers can fix a bad patch
Can 2 players both play with 1 physical disc on 2 separate consoles ?
Little Mac
Member
How I interpret it, no. Only one player will be able to play it at any given time. If you lend it out, it will not be accessible on your system until it is returned.
Last edited:
Tams
Member
They have to do it this way because digital products are incredibly easy to copy, and given the chance to, many would make copies they are not entitled to.
I think this is a wholly reasonable and fair approach.
I'll still be sticking to physical copies though.
Last edited:
Tams
Member
Xbox's attempt at this went down like a lead balloon because of the related issue of the console needing to check-in online every 24 hours. It unintentionally was draconian and treated all console owners as if they were thieves.
For digital sharing, they made it clear that physical copies were on the way out, so their digital sharing would end up the only way. Nintendo game carts aren't going away for at least one more gen.
clarky
Gold Member
Steam, Xbox and (I think) PS have game sharing at some level without all this nonsense.
My pals have almost full access to my Steam library bar a few titles for example.
Last edited:
Tams
Member
At the end of the day, none of them want you to only buy one copy of a game when you'd otherwise buy two or three.
It doesn't seem any more or less onerous on PlayStation (and honestly it sounds just as 'hacky' as the Switch):
Similar threads
- Poll