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Use Nintendo’s Virtual Game Cards. When a digital game is loaded on a console, every user on that console can play it, including offline. To let a family member play on a different Switch-family console, place both Nintendo Accounts in the same family group, link the borrower to a user on the target console, and lend the virtual game card. The loan lasts up to 14 days, and the owner cannot use that lent copy until it is returned, expires, or is retrieved.
How Nintendo digital-game sharing works
A downloaded Switch game is not a freely transferable file. Nintendo now manages digital purchases as virtual game cards, which act much like physical cartridges for access control. The important question is whether the card is loaded on the same console as the other player or lent to a separate console.
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Everyone on one console can use a loaded card
After a virtual game card is loaded on a console, all user accounts on that console can launch the game. They do not need to be the account that bought it. Once the card is loaded, the game can be played without an internet connection, subject to the game’s own requirements for online features.
A different console needs a temporary loan
For a child or other relative using a separate console, the owner can lend the virtual game card to a member of the same Nintendo Account family group. The borrower accepts the card on the target console and downloads the game if it is not already installed. The borrower receives access for up to 14 days. During that period, the owner loses access to that lent copy.
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An online license is not the same as family sharing
Nintendo also allows the purchasing account to use an online license on another console that does not have the virtual game card loaded. That use requires the purchasing account to be connected to the internet, and other users on that console cannot play the purchase through that license. Adding another user, signing in on a second console, or giving someone the account password therefore does not create general family access.
| Situation | Who can play | Internet behavior | Access type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Card loaded on a console | Every user on that console | Game can run offline after loading | Console-based access |
| Card lent to a family member’s console | The users supported by that target console, with the borrowed card available there | Internet and local wireless proximity are required for the lending transaction; the loaded game can then be played offline | Temporary transfer |
| Purchasing account using an online license | Only the purchasing account | Purchasing account must stay connected | Account-based access on a console without the card |
What you need before lending a game
- One Nintendo Account family group: the owner and borrower must belong to the same family group.
- A linked user on the target console: the borrower’s Nintendo Account must be linked to a user profile on the console that will receive the loan.
- Both consoles nearby: bring the owner’s and borrower’s consoles close together for the transaction.
- Internet access on both consoles: connect both systems to the internet before starting.
- A compatible title: some games do not support virtual-game-card lending.
- Enough storage on the borrower’s console: lending authorizes access; it does not guarantee that the downloaded game will fit in available internal or microSD storage.
A Nintendo Switch Online membership is not listed as a prerequisite for Virtual Game Card lending. The required services are the Nintendo Accounts, family-group relationship, linked user, nearby consoles, and internet communication used for the transaction.
Step-by-step: lend a digital game to a family member
- Confirm the family relationship. Put the owner’s and borrower’s Nintendo Accounts in the same Nintendo Account family group. On the target console, make sure the borrower’s account is linked to an existing user, or create and link the appropriate user before attempting the loan.
- Prepare both consoles. Bring the two consoles close together and connect each one to the internet. Local wireless proximity and internet communication are both needed while the card is being lent.
- Open Virtual Game Cards on the owner’s console. From the HOME Menu, open Virtual Game Cards. Select the owner’s user profile, then choose the digital game to lend.
- Choose the family member. Select Lend to Family Group Member, then choose the borrower from the list. If the borrower is missing, stop here and check the family-group and linked-user requirements rather than trying to share the account password.
- Accept the card on the borrower’s console. On the borrower’s console, accept or borrow the virtual game card. Download the game if it is not already installed, then start it from the HOME Menu when the download is complete.
The borrower can use the lent game for up to 14 days unless it is returned earlier. The owner cannot play that lent copy during the loan. The borrower may return it early, and the owner may retrieve it early instead of waiting for the loan to end.
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What happens to the game, DLC, and save data
Download and installation
The virtual card controls the license; the game’s software still has to be present on the borrower’s console. If the title is not installed, the borrower downloads it after accepting the card. Storage space, download time, and any required updates are separate from the lending permission.
Downloadable content
Any DLC purchased with the game is lent along with it. The borrower therefore receives the DLC associated with the lent virtual game card while the loan is active, provided the title and DLC are compatible with the console and game version.
Save data stays with the borrower
Returning the card does not erase the borrower’s save data. If the same game is borrowed again later, the borrower can continue using that save. The save also remains available if the borrower eventually purchases the game on their own account.
Limits you should plan around
| Rule | Practical effect |
|---|---|
| Up to three virtual game cards can be lent at once from one lender account | The owner can have several separate loans active, but cannot exceed three lent cards simultaneously. |
| Each borrower can have only one borrowed game at a time | A borrower must return the current borrowed card before borrowing a different game. |
| Only one virtual game card can be lent to a particular console | Even if several family members use that console, it cannot receive multiple lent cards at once. |
| The target console cannot combine users from multiple Nintendo Account family groups for this loan | If the console includes users belonging to different family groups, the lending transaction may be blocked. |
| Some titles do not support virtual-game-card lending | Check the individual game’s support status before promising a family member access. |
These limits apply to the lending system, not to ordinary same-console play. A loaded card on a console remains available to all users on that console even when the owner is not the person launching the game.
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The family member does not appear in the lending list
- Verify that the borrower’s Nintendo Account is in the lender’s Nintendo Account family group.
- Verify that the borrower’s account is linked to a user profile on the target console.
- Check that you selected the owner’s user profile in Virtual Game Cards before choosing the title.
- Confirm that the target console is not already receiving another lent card.
Changing the borrower’s console user without linking the correct Nintendo Account does not satisfy the requirement. The account relationship and console link must both be correct.
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The lending transaction will not start
- Place the consoles close together; this is not an operation that can be completed solely from two distant locations.
- Connect both consoles to the internet and confirm that each can communicate online.
- Retry from the owner’s HOME Menu through Virtual Game Cards, rather than launching the game first.
- Check whether the title supports virtual-game-card lending.
- Check the owner’s active-loan count and the borrower’s current borrowed-game status.
The borrower accepted the card but cannot start the game
- Confirm that the download finished and that the game is installed on the borrower’s console.
- Check available internal or microSD storage and free space for the game and its updates.
- Make sure the borrower is using the console that received the card, not another Switch in the household.
- Check title and system compatibility, especially when one console is a Nintendo Switch 2 and the other is a Nintendo Switch.
The owner cannot play after lending
This is expected behavior, not a failed transfer. The owner’s access to that copy is suspended while the card is lent. Have the borrower return the card, or use the owner’s Virtual Game Cards controls to retrieve it early. Once the card is back with the owner, access can be restored on the owner’s console according to the normal virtual-card rules.
The borrower’s progress disappeared after returning the game
Returning the virtual card should not delete save data. Check that the borrower is launching the game with the same user profile that created the save. If the game is borrowed again, that profile’s existing save should be the one used.
Can two Switch consoles share one digital game?
Yes, but the answer depends on how the second console is using the game. The owner can load virtual game cards on up to two consoles associated with the account. On those consoles, all users can play the loaded cards. A separate console without a loaded card can be used by the purchasing account through an online license while connected to the internet, but that arrangement does not give the other users on that console access.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFor a family member with their own console and user profile, lending is the clearest method when the title supports it. It creates a temporary console-based loan rather than relying on the purchasing account’s online-only license.
Do you need Nintendo Switch Online?
Nintendo’s Virtual Game Card procedure does not list a Nintendo Switch Online subscription as a requirement. You do need internet access on both consoles during the lending transaction, and the consoles must be close enough for the required local wireless communication. Do not confuse that one-time setup connection with the separate online-license rule: an online license requires the purchasing account to remain connected while playing on a console that does not have the card loaded.
A game may still require Nintendo Switch Online for its own online multiplayer, cloud features, or other service-specific functions. That is a requirement of the game or feature, not a condition for lending the virtual game card.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 compatibility
Nintendo supports lending compatible virtual game cards between Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch consoles. Compatibility is title- and system-dependent, so do not assume that every Switch game can be lent in every cross-generation direction.
Some Switch 2-to-Switch sharing combinations are directional. In other words, a title may support one console pairing or lending direction but not the reverse. Check the game’s current compatibility and support information before beginning a cross-generation loan, particularly when the borrower is using the original Nintendo Switch and the owner is using Nintendo Switch 2.
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Compatibility also covers more than whether the software downloads. The title must support the virtual-game-card lending feature, and the game’s DLC and system requirements must work on the borrower’s console.
Examples for common family setups
Parent and child on the same Switch
Load the parent’s virtual game card on that console. The child can select their own user profile and play without the parent signing in. After the card is loaded, the game can be played offline.
Parent and child on two nearby Switch consoles
Put both Nintendo Accounts in the same family group, link the child’s account to a user on the child’s console, bring both consoles close together, and lend the card through Virtual Game Cards. The child downloads the game and receives the temporary loan; the parent cannot use that lent copy until it comes back.
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Only one virtual game card can be lent to a particular console, even when multiple family members use it. Decide which game should be borrowed on that console, and remember that the borrower account itself can have only one borrowed game at a time.
Family members in different Nintendo Account family groups
They cannot use this lending path until the accounts are in the same family group. Merely living at the same address, using the same Wi-Fi network, or owning consoles purchased by the same person does not satisfy Nintendo’s account requirement.
Returning or retrieving a borrowed game
The borrower can return the virtual game card before the standard loan period ends. The owner can also retrieve it early. Early return is useful when the owner wants to play immediately, while retrieval is useful when the borrower has stopped playing but has not returned the card.
When the loan reaches its 14-day limit, access to the borrowed card ends automatically. The borrower’s save data remains on the console, so a later loan or a separate purchase can use the existing progress.
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How to choose the right sharing method
- Choose same-console loading when everyone plays on one Switch and you want permanent access for every user profile on that console.
- Choose lending when a family member has a separate console, belongs to the same family group, and needs temporary access to a compatible title.
- Use the online license only when the purchasing account itself will play on the other console while connected to the internet; it is not a method for giving every user on that console access.
- Check compatibility first for games moving between Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, because support varies by title and direction.
Final checklist before you press “Lend”
- Both accounts are members of the same Nintendo Account family group.
- The borrower’s account is linked to a user on the target console.
- Both consoles are nearby and connected to the internet.
- The game supports virtual-game-card lending.
- The target console has enough storage for the game and updates.
- The borrower understands that the loan is temporary and that the owner cannot use that copy while it is lent.
With those conditions met, Virtual Game Cards provide Nintendo’s supported way to share a digital Switch game with a family member. Same-console loading gives every local user offline access; separate-console lending gives a compatible family-group member temporary access without sharing the purchasing account’s password.
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