If you deleted a digital Nintendo Switch game, open Virtual Game Cards from the HOME Menu, choose the user linked to the Nintendo Account that purchased it, select the game, and set its virtual game card. The Switch starts downloading the software when it is online and has enough free storage. This is Nintendo’s normal redownload route for purchased software and add-on content since April 30, 2025.
What you need before redownloading
A redownload is tied to the Nintendo Account that made the purchase, not simply to the console or the user currently holding the controller. Make sure that account is linked to a user profile on the Switch you are using. If several people use the console, you may need to check each profile to find the purchasing account.
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- The correct account: The user profile must be linked to the Nintendo Account that bought the game or add-on.
- An internet connection: The console must be online for the virtual game card to be set and for the download to begin.
- Free storage: The internal storage or a compatible microSD card must have enough room for the software.
- A supported title: Nintendo must still offer the game or add-on for redownload. A title whose distribution has ended may no longer be available.
Menu wording can differ by country, language, and system version. Nintendo’s cited support instructions are Japan-region pages, so a console set to another region may show equivalent English-language labels rather than exactly the same text.
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How to redownload a deleted purchased game
- From the Switch HOME Menu, open Virtual Game Cards.
- Choose the user profile linked to the Nintendo Account that purchased the game.
- Find the deleted game in that account’s list of purchased software and select it.
- Choose the option to set the virtual game card. The console begins the download when it is connected to the internet and has sufficient storage.
- Leave the console connected while the software downloads and installs. When installation finishes, launch the game from the HOME Menu.
This procedure applies to a standard paid digital game and to purchased downloadable add-on content. Deleting the software from the HOME Menu removes the installed files; it does not by itself cancel the purchase tied to the Nintendo Account.
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Which redownload route applies to your item?
Nintendo separates ordinary purchases from Nintendo Switch Online-exclusive software and demos. Identify the item before troubleshooting so you use the correct menu.
| Item | Where to start | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Paid digital game | HOME Menu > Virtual Game Cards | Select the purchasing user, choose the title, and set its virtual game card to start the download. |
| Purchased add-on content | HOME Menu > Virtual Game Cards | Choose the purchasing user and the relevant add-on, then set its virtual game card. The base game may also be required to use the content. |
| Nintendo Switch Online-exclusive software | The software’s individual product page | Use the download control on that product page rather than looking for it in the purchased-software list. |
| Demo | The demo’s individual product page | Open the product page and use its download control. Demos are handled separately from purchased software. |
If a game is missing from Virtual Game Cards but you remember downloading a demo, confirm that you are looking at the full paid product rather than its demo page. Conversely, a Switch Online-exclusive item may not appear in the same list as ordinary purchases even when the subscription is active.
If the deleted game does not appear in Virtual Game Cards
Check every user profile on the console
Open Virtual Game Cards again and review each user shown on the Switch. A family member or another local profile may have made the purchase. The title will be associated with that purchasing Nintendo Account, so selecting a different user can make a legitimate purchase appear to be missing.
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On the profile you believe made the purchase, confirm that the same Nintendo Account is still linked. Purchase history is managed by that account. A purchase cannot be moved to another Nintendo Account, and Nintendo does not transfer it between accounts or refund it simply because the wrong profile is being used.
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Check whether distribution ended
Nintendo states that software or add-ons whose redownload distribution has ended may no longer be downloadable. If the title was withdrawn from distribution, the absence from Virtual Game Cards is not fixed by deleting and recreating a user profile or by changing consoles.
Look for the title’s product page when it is a demo or Switch Online item
Demos and Nintendo Switch Online-exclusive software use their individual product pages. Search for the exact item in the Nintendo eShop, open its product page, and use the download control there. Do not treat a missing demo as evidence that a paid purchase has disappeared.
Confirm that the console has completed a transfer
When a user is moved to another Switch, the purchase follows the Nintendo Account, but the virtual game card is not set on the destination console automatically. Open Virtual Game Cards on the new Switch, select the transferred user’s account, choose the game, and set its card there.
Reconnect the account after a console reset
After initializing a Switch, link the same Nintendo Account again. Then use Virtual Game Cards to set each purchased title you want to restore. A reset removes the console’s local installation; it does not provide a way to change which account owns the purchase.
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- Nintendo Switch 2 uses a new standard of expandable memory card called microSD Express (sold separately). This kind of memory card is needed for faster access speeds and to ensure games will run smoothly.
- Please note: Nintendo Switch 2 is only compatible with microSD Express cards. If the microSD cards you have used for Nintendo Switch do not support microSD Express standards, you cannot use them with Nintendo Switch 2.
Redownloading after moving to another Switch
A user transfer and a game download are separate actions. The transfer places the user and account information on the destination console, but it does not automatically install every purchased title or set every virtual game card.
- Finish the user-transfer process and sign in with the Nintendo Account that originally bought the game.
- On the destination Switch, open Virtual Game Cards from the HOME Menu.
- Select the transferred user profile.
- Choose the game or add-on and select the option to set its virtual game card.
- Keep the destination console online until the download and installation finish.
If the game is visible on the old console but not the new one, do not create a second Nintendo Account. Check that the destination user is linked to the original account, then set the virtual game card on that console.
What changes after a factory reset or initialization?
Initialization removes local software from the console. To restore a purchased game, link the original Nintendo Account after setup and set the title’s virtual game card again. Nintendo’s initialization guidance also warns that software data stored on a microSD card becomes unusable after initialization. The card may still be usable for new downloads after it is prepared for the console, but the old installed data should not be treated as a recoverable copy.
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Reinstalling the game is different from recovering its save data. The redownload restores the game software and purchased add-ons that are still distributed; it does not automatically recreate a deleted or missing save.
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Storage: internal memory or microSD card
The virtual-game-card download starts only when the Switch has enough free space. If the console reports insufficient storage, free space in internal memory or use an optional Nintendo Switch-compatible microSD card with room for the download.
- Check available space before starting a large redownload.
- Remove software you no longer need or move compatible data to make room.
- Insert and prepare a compatible microSD card if internal storage is insufficient.
- Keep the console connected during the download; interrupting power or the network can leave installation incomplete.
A microSD card provides storage capacity only. It does not change which Nintendo Account owns the purchase, make an unavailable title distributable again, or restore save data after initialization.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Save data is separate from the game download
Setting a virtual game card reinstalls the title, not every file associated with previous play. If the game opens as though it has never been played, the software has been restored but the earlier save is not present on the console. Deleting installed software and deleting save data are different actions, and a redownload should not be presented as a save-recovery method.
The same distinction matters after moving to another console or initializing one. The account can authorize the software again, while local save files may require whatever separate transfer or backup method was available for that particular game and account setup. The facts established here are limited to the redownload: it reinstalls software and does not automatically restore saves.
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Why a purchase can be unavailable even with the right account
There are two account-related outcomes that look similar but have different causes:
- Wrong user or account: The purchase belongs to another Nintendo Account linked to a different profile. Selecting that profile in Virtual Game Cards should reveal the title if it is still distributed.
- Distribution ended: The purchasing account is correct, but Nintendo no longer provides the software or add-on for redownload. In that case, changing users, moving consoles, or adding storage will not make it appear.
Do not assume that a missing listing means the purchase record was erased. First test every linked user, then verify the item type and its current distribution status. If all of those checks are correct and the title remains absent, the distribution-ending limitation is the relevant explanation supported by Nintendo’s guidance.
A quick decision guide
| What happened? | Action |
|---|---|
| You deleted a normal paid game on the same Switch. | Open Virtual Game Cards, choose the purchasing user, select the game, and set its virtual game card. |
| You deleted purchased downloadable content. | Use Virtual Game Cards with the purchasing user and select the add-on. |
| You moved the user to another Switch. | On the destination console, set the purchased title’s virtual game card; the transfer does not do this automatically. |
| You initialized or reset the Switch. | Relink the original Nintendo Account, then set the purchased virtual game cards again. |
| You are looking for a Nintendo Switch Online-exclusive title or demo. | Open that item’s product page and use its download control. |
| The title is absent for the correct account and profile. | Check whether Nintendo ended redownload distribution for the software or add-on. |
| The download will not start. | Confirm the console is online and has enough internal or microSD storage. |
What the process does—and does not—restore
Setting a virtual game card authorizes and downloads the purchased software for the selected Switch. It does not move ownership to another Nintendo Account, make a discontinued title available, or automatically recover save data. Those boundaries explain most cases in which a redownload appears to succeed but the player still cannot find the expected game, add-on, or progress.
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