With the introduction of the Virtual Card system, downloading games between shared consoles has become much harder, as it is not as simple as going to the eShop and hitting download.
Related
How Much Storage Does the Switch 2 Have?
The Nintendo Switch 2 comes with a fairly decent amount of storage, but how much of it can players use on their console, and how can they get more?
Whether it’s an original Switch game or exclusive to its successor, there are various ways for players to download games that they’ve purchased onto the Switch 2, and this guide will show them how to do it.
How to Download Games on Switch 2
When players purchase a game in the eShop or redeem a code, they have the option to download it immediately. This is the most straightforward way to download games on Switch 2. However, if for some reason they archive it or delay the download, they will have to find another way to regain access to it.
Before, in order to download games on Switch, the only thing that players had to do was open their profile on the eShop app and select any of their owned digital content, and start the download. However, Virtual Cards completely changed this, and gamers must now use this system if they’d like to download their digital games, except if they still have the game archived on their console’s library. In this case, players can simply open the Switch 2 library, select the game, and then the Software Update tab, and then “Redownload Software“, which will initiate its download without too much hassle.
How to Download Games via Virtual Card on Switch 2
The most common way to download games on Switch 2 is through the Virtual Card menu, which is the third button from the right on the bottom menu of the Switch 2’s main menu.
To download games on the Switch 2, players must open the Virtual Card menu, select the game that they’d like to play, click Options, and then Download Data.
If gamers are playing on their primary console and they are the owner of the software, they won’t need to load the Virtual Card onto the console to play it. When using a secondary console, players can access the games that they bought without loading their Virtual Card, but other users will not be able to play them without it.
- Brand
-
Nintendo
- Operating System
-
Proprietary
- Storage
-
256GB internal / MicroSD
- Resolution
-
1080p (handheld) / 4K (docked)
- App Store
-
Nintendo eShop
- Wi-Fi
-
Yes