For most digital Nintendo Switch games, “gamesharing” means lending a Virtual Game Card to someone in your Nintendo Account family group. The loan lasts up to 14 days, and you need both consoles nearby and connected to the internet to set it up. A loaded Virtual Game Card can then be played offline. This is different from the online license for your own downloads and from GameShare on Nintendo Switch 2, which lasts only for a session.
How to lend a digital game to a family member
The Nintendo Account that purchased the downloadable game or content must lend it, and the recipient must belong to that account’s family group. Keep the two consoles near each other and online while handing off the card. Nintendo’s instructions describe the process; menu wording can vary by language or software update.
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- On the purchaser’s console, open Virtual Game Cards from the HOME Menu.
- Select the user who bought the software, then select the Virtual Game Card to lend.
- Choose Lend to Family Group Member and select the recipient.
- On the recipient’s nearby console, accept the prompt to complete the handoff.
If you do not see the lending option, check that the selected user bought the game, the recipient is in the same family group, both consoles are online and nearby, and the title is eligible. Nintendo says some software cannot be lent.
What happens during and after a loan
A Virtual Game Card loan lasts up to 14 days, after which the card returns automatically. The purchaser cannot play that card while it is lent. The borrower can play it on the console that received it, but cannot move it to another console or lend it onward. The card may be returned early.
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- One borrower can hold one borrowed card at a time.
- Different cards can be lent to as many as three people simultaneously, subject to the one-card-per-console limit.
- A family-group member can lend up to one card.
- When the 14-day loan ends, the game is suspended if it is still running. The recipient must borrow it again or buy it to continue playing.
After the card is loaded, any user on that console can play it, and internet access is not required for play. Loading a Virtual Game Card does require internet. A Nintendo Account can register up to two consoles for Virtual Game Cards.
Virtual Game Card lending versus an online license
Nintendo provides two different ways to access eligible digital purchases. Choose family lending when another person in your family group needs temporary access to a game. Use an online license when the purchaser wants to play their own downloads on another console and can stay connected to the internet.
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| Detail | Virtual Game Card | Online license |
|---|---|---|
| Who can play | Any user on the console where the card is loaded; lending is to a family-group member. | The purchasing account can play its own downloads. |
| Internet during play | Not required after the card is loaded. | Required. |
| Console limit | Up to two registered consoles per account. | No console-count limit stated by Nintendo. |
| Can it lend a game to family? | Yes, for up to 14 days, if the title is eligible. | No. |
| What is shared | The selected Virtual Game Card, subject to lending rules. | The purchaser’s access to their own downloads, not a loan to another account. |
Nintendo explains these access methods on its Virtual Game Cards support page.
Which games and content can be lent?
Not every digital item is a lendable Virtual Game Card. Nintendo says Nintendo Switch Online subscriber-only software, such as Nintendo Classics, and some DLC that requires Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack are not Virtual Game Cards. Other titles may also be excluded, so check the individual game in the Virtual Game Cards area before promising that it can be shared.
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If the purchaser owns both a downloadable base game and its DLC, Nintendo treats them as one Virtual Game Card for lending; they cannot be lent separately. DLC associated with a physical game is handled as its own card, but the recipient still needs the physical base game. Nintendo also says eligible past digital purchases can be lent.
Save data, family groups, and account sharing
Lending access does not move a save file. Save data remains on the console where it was created; to continue on another console, use Nintendo’s save-data transfer options or Save Data Cloud where applicable. A family group enables this lending feature, but it does not pool account funds or points, as Nintendo’s family group information explains.
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- The perfect gift for anyone who loves to play—including you. Choose from over 1,000 new, classic and indie games – delivered directly to your Nintendo Switch, Wii U or Nintendo 3DS family of systems.
- Nintendo eShop Digital Cards are redeemable only through the Nintendo eShop on the Nintendo Switch, Wii U, and Nintendo 3DS family of systems.
- Digital Card balances can be shared across Nintendo Switch, Wii U and Nintendo 3DS family of systems, but may only be used on a single Nintendo eShop account.
Does primary-console sharing still work?
Not as the general method for sharing downloadable games. Nintendo says system version 20.0.0, released April 30, 2025, replaced the former primary-console arrangement with a limited setting for sharing usage rights for certain software. That setting applies to one console per Nintendo Account across Switch and Switch 2, and concerns certain software tickets rather than general access to downloadable games. For ordinary digital-game access, use Virtual Game Cards or the purchaser’s online license. See Nintendo’s current explanation of the usage-rights setting.
What Switch 2 GameShare does—and does not do
GameShare on Nintendo Switch 2 is a separate, session-based feature for supported software. The recipient can play only during the GameShare session; it is not a 14-day loan or a permanent transferable copy. Nintendo summarizes this limit in its Switch 2 HOME Menu help. Check game and console compatibility before relying on GameShare.
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- The perfect gift for anyone who loves to play—including you. Choose from over 1,000 new, classic and indie games – delivered directly to your Nintendo Switch, Wii U or Nintendo 3DS family of systems.
- Nintendo eShop Digital Cards are redeemable only through the Nintendo eShop on the Nintendo Switch, Wii U, and Nintendo 3DS family of systems.
- Digital Card balances can be shared across Nintendo Switch, Wii U and Nintendo 3DS family of systems, but may only be used on a single Nintendo eShop account.
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.
