Lifting the curtain on a slate of upcoming games is standard fare for Nintendo Direct showcases, but the latest live stream on 27 March had a surprise treat to offer. In addition to updates on highly-anticipated titles like Metroid Prime 4 and Pokémon Legends: Z-A, alongside sequel announcements including Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, the gaming juggernaut also debuted its new Virtual Game Card feature for the Nintendo Switch.
Coming in late April, the lending system is designed to work similarly to physical cartridges, allowing users to swap digital games between devices or share them with Family Group members. Here’s how it works: Nintendo eShop purchases will automatically create a virtual game card that needs to be managed on a dedicated screen. There, players can access two options, ‘loaded’ or ‘ejected’, with the latter enabling use across no more than two Switch consoles owned by the main account holder. An internet connection is required when ‘ejecting’ or ‘loading’ a Virtual Game Card, but not at any other point.
Only one card can be lent to each member within a Family Group, which supports up to eight users, and for a total of 14 days. Once the window has passed, the game is automatically returned to the original owner, and local Wi-Fi communication between the devices is needed on the first attempt.
More notably, the virtual game card seems tailored for transferring digital titles from the current-gen Nintendo Switch to its upcoming successor. While there was no news of the Switch 2 during the presentation, a first-look trailer already confirmed support for backward compatibility, so users will have an easier time managing their digital libraries across their old and new consoles. More information about the console will be shared during the Switch 2 Direct on 2 April.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
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