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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchNintendo Virtual Game Cards let you manage purchased digital games like cards: load them on up to two linked systems, or lend an eligible game to a member of your Nintendo Account family group for 14 days. A loaded game can be played offline after its first online launch; a family loan requires nearby, internet-connected consoles, and the owner cannot play the game while it is lent.
What a Nintendo Virtual Game Card does
A Virtual Game Card is Nintendo’s way to manage digital games and DLC purchased with a Nintendo Account. Open Virtual Game Cards from the HOME Menu to see the library, then load a card onto a compatible system to make that game available there. It is a digital license, not a physical cartridge.
Once a card is loaded on a console, other users on that console can play the game too. That makes loading the practical option when several people share one household system. Lending is for a family-group member who will play on a separate console.
How to use a Virtual Game Card on a second system
- Pair the systems. From the Virtual Game Cards interface, link the second system to the first. The one-time pairing requires the consoles to be near each other and connected to the internet. Up to two systems per Nintendo Account can load Virtual Game Cards, in any combination of Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 systems, according to Nintendo’s US feature page and Nintendo Americas Support.
- Move the card when needed. Eject it from the first system and load it on the other. The receiving console must be powered on or in sleep mode and online during loading. The linked systems do not need to stay near each other after pairing. Nintendo also supports card management through the Nintendo Account portal.
- Connect for the first launch. Nintendo says a loaded game needs an internet connection the first time it is started. After that, it can be played offline while the card remains loaded. Ejecting or moving a card requires an internet connection.
How to lend a game to a family member
Lending gives another person temporary access on their own console. Nintendo’s US feature page says, “You can lend one game per account for 14 days (unless the borrower returns it earlier).” The owner can have up to three Virtual Game Cards lent at a time; a borrower can borrow only one game at a time, and a console can receive only one card at a time.
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- Make sure the borrower belongs to the owner’s Nintendo Account family group.
- Bring the lender’s and borrower’s consoles near one another and connect both to the internet.
- Choose an eligible game in the Virtual Game Cards interface and lend it. The consoles need proximity and internet access for the lending process.
- The loan ends automatically after 14 days. The borrower may return it earlier, and their save data remains on their console. The owner can also retrieve the card early; Nintendo’s 2025 release says the borrower must be online for an owner-initiated return during the loan: Nintendo’s announcement.
While a card is lent, its owner cannot play that game. A loan is therefore temporary access, not a way for both people to use the same card freely at once.
Which sharing option fits your household?
| Option | Who can play | System limit and connection | Duration and access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Load a Virtual Game Card | The account holder and other users on the console where the card is loaded | Up to two linked systems per Nintendo Account; internet is needed to pair and load or eject, with internet required for the game’s first launch | Remains loaded until moved or ejected; playable offline after first launch |
| Lend a Virtual Game Card | A member of the owner’s Nintendo Account family group on a separate console | Nearby consoles and internet access are required to lend; a borrower can have one loan at a time | 14 days, unless returned sooner; owner cannot play while lent |
| Use online licenses | Games accessed through the online-license setting | Nintendo says this can support three or more systems; a successful online check is needed to start a game using this setting | Different from loading a card; Nintendo’s feature page describes the online check requirement |
The two-system loading limit is per Nintendo Account. Nintendo points households using three or more systems to online licenses, but that option depends on a successful online check to start a game. The sources do not establish every simultaneous-play combination involving an owner, borrower, and online licenses, so do not assume that every arrangement permits two people to play the same purchase at once.
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Eligibility, limits, and subscription questions
- Not every game can be lent. Some titles are excluded, including some Nintendo Switch Online member-exclusive games. Check the game in the Virtual Game Cards interface. Nintendo’s support guide also says DLC purchased for a lent game is lent as well.
- Family-group membership matters. The borrower must be in the owner’s Nintendo Account family group. Nintendo says a console containing users from multiple different family groups cannot receive a loan.
- Nintendo Switch Online is not a general lending requirement. Nintendo’s stated lending requirements are family-group membership, nearby consoles, and internet access. A membership is relevant to Save Data Cloud backup, and some member-exclusive games have lending restrictions.
- Save data stays with the borrower after return. Returning the borrowed card does not remove the borrower’s save data for the game.
For setup details and restrictions, consult Nintendo’s Virtual Game Cards page and its Americas Support guide.
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- One player can use a Joy-Con in each hand
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- This model includes battery life of approximately 4.5 - 9 hours.
- The battery life will depend on the games you play. For instance, the battery will last approximately 5.5 hours for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (games sold separately)
- Model number HAC 001( 01)
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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