Recommended Free Tools
You can play a digital game you bought on another Nintendo Switch, but you do not transfer the purchase itself. The license stays with the Nintendo Account that bought it. On the new console, link that account and redownload the game from Nintendo eShop, or use Nintendo’s Virtual Game Card feature. Save data is separate and may need its own transfer.
Choose how to access the game on the other Switch
Both options rely on the Nintendo Account that purchased the game. Choose a fresh download if you want the game installed from eShop; choose Virtual Game Cards if you want to manage and load purchased software using that feature.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Minecraft - Nintendo Switch | $29.83 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - US Version | $52.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Mario Kart™ World (Nintendo Switch 2) | $79.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Super Mario Galaxy™ + Super Mario Galaxy™ 2 | $64.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| Option | What to do | Important condition |
|---|---|---|
| Redownload from Nintendo eShop | Link the purchasing Nintendo Account to a user on the destination Switch, open eShop using that account, and redownload the title. | The game can be downloaded on both consoles, but who can play it and whether an online check is needed depend on console designation and account conditions. Nintendo’s guidance on playing purchased downloads on another console. |
| Virtual Game Card | Follow the Virtual Game Card instructions on the console or your local Nintendo support site to manage and load the purchased title. | The Switch-specific guidance requires system software version 20.0.0 or later. Some interface locations differ between Switch and Switch 2. Nintendo’s Virtual Game Card guidance. |
Nintendo’s localized support pages may use different menu names or labels in your region. Use the local instructions rather than relying on a button sequence that may not match your console.
Redownload a purchased game from eShop
- On the destination Switch, create or select a user and link the Nintendo Account that purchased the game.
- Open Nintendo eShop with that account.
- Find the purchased game in the account’s downloadable software or purchase history and select the option to redownload it.
- Wait for the download to finish, then launch the game. If the purchasing account is not the destination console’s primary or always-play console, an internet connection may be required for play checks.
Nintendo’s account-access guidance explains that the same account’s primary or always-play console permits other users on that console to play the purchased software. On a non-primary console, play is limited to the user linked to the purchasing account and requires internet connectivity for launch or play checks. The same Nintendo Account cannot play the digital software simultaneously on both consoles; launching it on one can take precedence over play on the other, subject to the primary-console rules. Designations and account features can change, so check Nintendo’s current local guidance for your region.
#1 Best Overall
- Minecraft is a game about placing blocks and going on adventures
- Explore randomly generated worlds and build amazing things from the simplest of homes to the grandest of castles
- Play in creative mode with unlimited resources or mine deep into the world in survival mode, crafting weapons and armor to fend off the dangerous mobs
- Play on the go in handheld or tabletop modes
- Includes Super Mario Mash-Up, Natural Texture Pack, Biome Settlers Skin Pack, Battle & Beasts Skin Pack, Campfire Tales Skin Pack; Compatible with Nintendo Switch only
What happens to save data?
Game access and progress are separate. A user transfer does not move the digital game, add-on content, or update data. Nintendo describes user transfer and save-data-only transfer as separate processes; eligible user-specific saves may be moved using the appropriate transfer method. Some software keeps shared save data across users, which cannot be moved through the ordinary user-specific route described in Nintendo’s guidance.
If you need your progress on the destination console, use Nintendo’s instructions for transferring users or save data rather than assuming that downloading the game also moves its save. See Nintendo’s user and save-data transfer guidance for the available methods and limitations.
Rank #2
- New stages and fighters are joined by the combined rosters of every past Super Smash Bros. Game
- Challenge others anytime, anywhere, whether you're on the couch or on the go
- Play any way you want—locally, online, in TV mode, Tabletop mode, Handheld mode, or even with GameCube Controllers
- Fight faster and smarter with new and returning techniques, like the perfect shield and directional air dodge
- Face off in 2-4 player battles, or play against the computer
Why copying the microSD card will not transfer the game
Copying software data from the old Switch’s microSD card does not transfer the digital license or make the game playable on another console. Nintendo says copied software data cannot be used across multiple consoles; its microSD guidance also notes that using copied data on the destination can replace the source card’s data. Use the purchasing account to redownload the title or follow the Virtual Game Card process instead. See Nintendo’s microSD data-copy guidance.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Journey through space in two Super Mario adventures, now improved for the Nintendo Switch system!
- Travel the stars with enhanced resolution, improved UI, and additional content
- Learn more about the Lumas from additional Storybook chapters, groove to a bit of additional music
- Get additional Health and fall recovery in Assist Mode
- Join Rosalina and the Lumas to restore the Comet Observatory and rescue Princess Peach in Super Mario Galaxy.
Rank #3
- Race from one course to another through interconnected paths that span the world
- Traverse mountains, forests, cities, and more—with shifting weather patterns and a day/night cycle
- Ride on rails, jump off walls, skim across water, and more as you race for the finish line
- Take on the adrenaline-packed Knockout Tour—a fierce 24-driver elimination mode
- Explore courses at your own pace and wander the world to discover fun surprises in Free Roam
Before you start
- Confirm which Nintendo Account purchased the game; that account is needed to access the purchase.
- Decide whether you want an eShop redownload or to use Virtual Game Cards.
- For Virtual Game Cards, update the Switch to system software 20.0.0 or later.
- If you also need your progress, plan a separate save-data transfer and check whether the game’s save is eligible.
- Check which console is designated as the purchasing account’s primary or always-play console if multiple people or consoles need access.
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.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →
