Latest news with #VirtualGameCards
Gizmodo
06-06-2025
- Gizmodo
Nintendo's Nightmarish Virtual Game Cards Make the Switch 2 a DRM Minefield
Nintendo originally billed Virtual Game Cards as the Switch and Switch 2's new means of managing the games, making the process of loading digital titles as simple as slotting in your physical Game Cards from one console to the next. In practice, Virtual Game Cards are one of the more restrictive examples of DRM we've experienced. Not only does it mandate you have a single copy of a game at any time, but you can also only have one instance of local save data on one system. Virtual Game Cards will also restrict you from playing Switch 2 games if you don't have your original Switch nearby. Those with an original Switch have the option to do a system transfer to the Switch 2 on startup. The process also turns all your digital games into Virtual Game Cards. If you want to play your old games on the original Switch, you have to 'eject' the card from the Switch 2 and 'load' it on the original Switch. Your save data kept on Nintendo's cloud servers should remain tied to your Nintendo Account, but getting those titles from one system to the other requires both consoles to be in the room at the same time, at least for the first time you set things up. When we happy few on the Gizmodo consumer tech team received our Switch 2 unit, we weren't considering just how messy this process could get if you didn't think to bring your original Switch. For review, Nintendo granted us codes for Mario Kart World, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, and a subscription to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. We loaded two of our own profiles onto the Switch but tied those games and services to one account. After spending close to four hours setting up the Switch 2—downloading the big initial system update file and then downloading Mario Kart World off Nintendo's slammed servers—we loaded up the game only to be met with a pop-up window telling us we would need to transfer game cards onto the Switch 2 from the account owner's original Switch. So we waited 4 hours for the Switch 2 to download Mario Kart World and now it's telling us that I need to have my original Switch on hand in order to play it. Anyone know if unlinking my Nintendo account through the web will mess up my OG Switch? — Ray Wong (@raywongy) June 5, 2025 After getting to this screen, the only two options we were left with were bringing the Switch 2 near the original Switch or remotely transferring the data from Nintendo's 8-year-old handheld through a browser. This option is meant for people with missing or damaged Switch units, but it's the only way to move forward if you don't have immediate access to your older handheld. Doing so may not brick the original Switch, but it would mean your system would be factory reset and you'd need to reinstate the user account on that device. Virtual Game Cards have been available to the original Switch family for close to a month, and Nintendo fans already had their share of complaints, but the Switch 2 is throwing these DRM issues into stark relief. When transferring save data from the original Switch to the Switch 2, Nintendo deletes the data on the older console. Unless your files are backed up in cloud saves, you cannot simply jump from one system to another without downloading the save data first. This data transfer can go awry if you don't carefully read any on-screen prompts, as Gizmodo's Senior Editor of Consumer Tech, Raymond Wong, experienced when moving his Mario Kart 8: Deluxe game save to the new handheld. He said he accidentally overrode the transferred game save with a new, no-progress one that was saved in the cloud. It seems the console took the new cloud save as the one dedicated to the Switch 2, effectively deleting hundreds of hours of effort and vehicle unlocks from either system. As Wong voiced on X: why is a game save deleted from a Switch instead of simply copied over to another Switch? The game save is really gone… I'm heartbroken. Just heartbroken 8 years of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe progress gone in seconds because Nintendo thinks it's smart to delete the game save off the original Switch when transferring it to the Switch 2. WHY is game save deleted and not just… — Ray Wong (@raywongy) June 6, 2025 Virtual Game Cards don't just hang up the process of playing games on a Switch 2. It means playing games across any of your Switch systems becomes a time-consuming, restrictive hassle. For example, Wong transferred several game saves for newly minted Virtual Game Cards from his Switch to his Switch 2, but in order to play those digital games on his Switch with his progress, he'd need to transfer the game save back from his Switch 2. This can be both annoying and confusing. Ok this is obnoxious. Apparently I can't play SMM2 like I always have because my Switch Lite is in the other room and powered down. Virtual game cards = 👎 — Mario Mike (@mariomykol) June 3, 2025 The reason Nintendo invented Virtual Game Cards was to make sure nobody had more than one copy of a game tied to any one system. Rather than keeping all your games accessible from any compatible device, like on Steam, Nintendo's digital cards are a kind of digital rights management software that restricts you from sharing your old console with a friend so he can play your library. If you want to share games with your friends' systems, you can go through the process of temporarily transferring a game you own to their account, so long as they're in your 'Family Group.' You have to do this over local wireless, and the game loan times out after two weeks. It's as if Blockbuster came back and started offering game rentals again, except you're doing it through your cousin's Switch 2. Nintendo's obsession with mandating every Switch owner only have a single copy of a game has only entrenched the decline of ownership in gaming. Your save data isn't yours. Your games aren't yours.
Digital Trends
01-06-2025
- Business
- Digital Trends
One new Nintendo feature will be key to Switch 2's success
Nintendo has typically lagged behind its contemporaries when it comes to its advancement in anything surrounding games. It was the last to adopt online multiplayer, made voice chat a convoluted mess, and doesn't support some of the most popular streaming apps. For better or worse, Nintendo's main focus has always been on making the most enjoyable software possible on its specific hardware. Anything surrounding that tends to come off as an afterthought. As we approach the Switch 2's launch, we're seeing a bigger push into these types of services. Nintendo Online is only getting stronger with GameCube games on the way, almost complete backwards compatibility, and built-in voice chat is a complete 180 from how chatting on the Switch started out. But it is the Virtual Game Cards that stand out as the most vital innovation. Recommended Videos Digital trading cards Game sharing is nothing new. Both PlayStation and Xbox have their own methods for sharing your digital libraries across multiple consoles, though it isn't the most intuitive or publicized feature. This was one area where Nintendo's offering was about on par with the competition; it was possible, but presented a lot of hoops to jump through. Virtual Game Cards feel like the closest we've gotten to a true solution to digital game sharing. It makes passing any digital game between friends about as easy as it could be, only requiring both parties to be on the same Wi-Fi network. In reality, it isn't a drastic improvement over any of the current game sharing methods in terms of functionality, but what makes it so important is its readability. By turning our entire library into Game Cards, the process of sharing games becomes far more approachable and intuitive. It is way easier to grasp the idea of passing your digital Game Card to a friend and understanding you lent it to them than decoding what limitations there are in accessing someone else's library as a secondary console. While not nearly as direct, it feels similar to that famous PlayStation ad on how to share PS4 games — it shows how simple this concept should be but isn't elsewhere. For as behind the times as Nintendo can appear at times, it at least understands that games are made to be played together. Something like Virtual Game Cards needed to happen sooner rather than later. We're long past the point where digital games were a novelty and now account for the vast majority of all game sales. Most major physical games are essentially performative releases now, with nothing more than a key on the disc for the digital download. We also learned about Game-Key Cards for Switch 2 games, which are physical cards that act as keys needed to access downloaded games. And yet, despite dominating physical game sales, our options with digital games remain as barebones as they were 10 years ago. We can't sell, trade, or give them as gifts, and on consoles it is almost impossible to return them. Right now, it feels like the only benefit of digital games is the convenience factor. Besides the downsides I already mentioned, they don't cost any less than a physical product, and we technically don't even own them. Virtual Game Cards don't solve all these issues, but are an important step in bringing digital libraries on par with physical ones. I fully appreciate why game sharing has been so restrictive; the threat of someone discovering an exploit in the system could be devastating. This far into the digital era, though, there's no excuse. Sharing games should never require a flowchart or how-to guide. So many times I've spoken to friends and family who were considering buying a console but backed off because they didn't feel they could justify the cost of a system and games for how much free time they had. Then there are the friends who I know would love a certain game but can't afford to buy it. It's these times when the hundreds of games in my digital library feel completely ephemeral. I get that it isn't in a company's best interest to let us share our games. It's a war that has been raging long before digital games existed, which is why they've all dragged their feet on improving those services. That's why I hope Nintendo's move here forces the others to respond. Nintendo has already rolled Virtual Game Cards out on the Switch in preparation for the Switch 2, but it has already become my main talking point for the new system. Better graphics are great, and I have high hopes for what the new mouse functionality can bring to games, but a simple way to share digital games could help Nintendo win back a portion of the audience who are turned off by how anti-consumer the current systems are. This is a long overdue renovation of how digital games work and could end up being an ace up the Switch 2's sleeve.
Int'l Business Times
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Int'l Business Times
Nintendo Switch Firmware 20.0.0 Rolls Out Virtual Game Cards for Easier Game Sharing Ahead of Switch 2 Launch
Check your Nintendo Switch's latest firmware update 20.0.0, and you'll be surprised that a fresh feature is finally here. With the all-new Virtual Game Cards, sharing digital games, DLC, and software is now made easier between consoles. The Big N might be in a hurry for this update ahead of the June 5 launch of the Nintendo Switch 2. Of course, this update comes with some limitations. What Are Virtual Game Cards? Nintendo Virtual Game Cards Virtual Game Cards are Nintendo's new innovation to make sharing digital games and content among consoles easier. According to Nintendo, the new system behaves as a digital counterpart of physical game cartridges, making lending and borrowing content directly from one console to another simpler. Players are now able to share downloaded games, free software, and add-ons (DLC) without the former online-only limitations. How Game Sharing Worked Before Before this update, sharing digital content was tedious. Nintendo required users to set one console as the Primary Switch and another as the Secondary. The Primary Switch could play games offline, but the Secondary Switch needed a constant internet connection. This meant limited usability, especially in offline environments. New Sharing Options with Update 20.0.0 With the new firmware, the Virtual Game Cards system offers two distinct ways to share content: Load on Other System This one replicates the original Primary/Secondary configuration but simplifies the linking process. The second console needs to be linked to the original owner's Nintendo account. It still needs some setup, but it eliminates the old, clunkier designation procedure. Lend to Family Group Member For those with a Nintendo Switch Online Family Plan, this option is much more convenient. Through physically having two consoles in close proximity, users are able to wirelessly share content. This is perfect for close groups or families who frequent play together. Major Restrictions and Rules Although this change is significant, Nintendo has put tight restrictions on the use of Virtual Game Cards, according to GameSpot. Game borrows expire within 14 days. During the time a game is borrowed out, the original owner does not have access to that title. A borrower is limited to one game at any given time. One account may lend to three borrowers at the same time. Internet-based borrowing remains forbidden, so consoles have to be situated close to each other. Preparing for the Nintendo Switch 2 Era Nintendo is not timing this for anything. With the Switch 2 set to reportedly launch in June, this update may be a prelude to the more sophisticated sharing capabilities we can anticipate in the next-gen console. It provides players with more options to play handheld, while setting up a smoother migration to a new ecosystem. Originally published on Player One
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Nintendo's digital Switch game sharing plan could be so much simpler
In the final days of our pre-Switch 2 world, Nintendo is trying to rethink how sharing games works. The biggest announcement from the company's latest Direct was its upcoming Virtual Game Cards feature, a new approach to sharing digital games that improves on the company's current system, but still carries limitations that keep it from feeling truly modern. Virtual Game Cards attempt to make digital games as easy to share as physical ones. That starts with the company visually representing games as "cards" and using the language of loading and ejecting them, and extends to how simple they are to share. Two Switch consoles logged into your Nintendo Account can share any digital game just by "ejecting" it from one and "loading" it on another. The only catch is that the consoles need to be connected over local wireless (as in, be physically near each other) when the trade happens, and be able to access the internet to download the game and run it for the first time. You can similarly share a Virtual Game Card with anyone in the same Nintendo Account family group for two weeks, after which the game automatically returns. In both cases, saves for each game stay on the console where the game was played, making it simple to share the Virtual Game Card again and keep playing. In comparison to Nintendo's current system, which requires defining a Switch console as "primary" and able to be used offline and other devices as a "secondary" and needing an internet connection to play shared games, Virtual Game Cards are a meaningful improvement. If you're a parent trying to share games with your kids or a super-fan with multiple Switches (something Nintendo no doubt wants to encourage), Virtual Game Cards have basically solved the problem — or at least made it much easier to manage and understand. The company isn't exactly leading the pack here, though. If I own a game on PlayStation, I can download it on my Playstation 4 and PlayStation 5, and play on either console, without needing to go through the rigamarole of ejecting virtual cards. The same goes for Steam games. Valve even goes further and lets the vast majority of games be shared and played on accounts connected to the same Steam Family, without your computers needing to be near each other when you "hand-off" games. People are highly sensitive to any kind of DRM. Just ask Xbox, which had big plans to change how loaning games work when the Xbox One was announced, but had to dramatically backtrack after basically everyone complained. Nintendo isn't pulling an Xbox, per se, but it is pitching something adjacent. Virtual Game Cards are inarguably better than how things work now, but they require an internet connection and they still limit how many people can play a game at once. Nintendo came up with a better mental model for sharing games, but not necessarily a better way to do it.
WIRED
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- WIRED
Nintendo Is Changing the Way Digital Games Work
Mar 27, 2025 12:06 PM During its Nintendo Direct event Thursday, the company revealed 'Virtual Game Cards,' which will allow players to share games or play across multiple systems. It also teased Metroid Prime 4: Beyond . Photograph:Nintendo is overhauling how digital downloads work on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 with a new feature it's calling 'Virtual Game Cards.' Virtual Game Cards, which the company said during Thursday's Nintendo Direct livestream will launch in late April, are designed to better mimic the flexibility of physical games. It works like this: After buying a digital version of a game, the virtual card is loaded onto the player's Switch. Players can load or 'eject' these game cards; with two systems, a player could eject a game on one system and load it onto another to play from that handheld. Although players will need a local connection to do so, it allows you to swap multiple games between systems quickly. The feature could fundamentally change the landscape for digitally downloaded games, which have become increasingly popular over the past several years as brick-and-mortar retailers have shuttered and physical copies have become less important to some players. Digital copies offer a fast, easy way to get a new game, as long as players have an internet connection. But ownership of a digital game is far more murky than with physical media. Companies can remove digital games from storefronts at any time, and there's no fun secondary market for collectors. It's also not possible to resell a digital game, or loan it out without sharing account details. What Nintendo is doing with Virtual Game Cards does offer some flexibility on that last point. The virtual cards can be lent out to other players via a local connection in Family Groups, which link together several Nintendo accounts. But only one game can be shared between two people at one time for two weeks. It's unclear if a game that's been lent out can still be played by the original owner. WIRED has reached out to Nintendo for clarification and will update accordingly. Production and sales of physical games media and consoles stand to take a massive hit in the US if President Trump follows through with proposed tariffs on Canada, China, and Mexico, where many video game components are made. The Entertainment Software Association released a statement in February warning that 'tariffs on video game devices and related products would negatively impact hundreds of millions of Americans and would harm the industry's significant contributions to the US economy.' Tariffs could both increase prices and reduce availability for physical game products, making digital games more attractive to consumers. While Nintendo shared many details about Virtual Game Cards during Thursday's event, it did not share any news about the Switch 2. Another Nintendo Direct focusing on the new console is planned for April 2. The company did offer a brief look at Metroid Prime 4: Beyond , which will give its heroine Samus mysterious new physic abilities. The game is still expected this year, though it's possible a firm release date will be announced alongside the Switch 2 news next week. This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
