What’s the Best Way to Game Share on Nintendo Switch?
What’s the Best Way to Game Share on Nintendo Switch?
4 Answers

Here’s the lowdown on how to game share on your Nintendo Switch:
Nintendo Switch is a crowd favorite in the gaming world, and one of its coolest perks is game sharing. This feature is especially handy for families and friends who want to share their game collection. Let’s dive into how you can set this up and start sharing the fun.
Understanding Game Sharing on Nintendo Switch
Nintendo Switch allows you to share and play digital games across multiple consoles. So if you’ve got a tight-knit group of friends or family, game sharing can let everyone in on the action. Here’s the kicker, though—this only works with digital games, not physical cartridges.
Traditional Game Sharing Method
- Designate a Primary Console: Start by making your Switch the primary console for your Nintendo Account. Head to the Nintendo eShop, select your profile pic, hit “Primary Console,” and deregister. Then on another Switch, go to “System Settings” > “Users” > “Add User,” create a new user, and link your account. Voila! The new Switch is now your primary console.
- Download and Play Games: With the primary console all set, other users can download the shared games from the eShop onto their consoles. Just keep in mind, only one person can play a shared game at any given time. If the primary console starts a game, the secondary console will get kicked out.
Game Sharing with Family Group Accounts
- Create a Family Group: Hop onto your Nintendo Account via the Nintendo website or the Nintendo Switch Online app, navigate to the “Family Group” section, and follow the steps to set up a family group. A credit card is needed for billing (no worries, you won’t be charged unless you buy digital games or subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online).
- Add Family Members: Once your family group is created, you can add up to seven members. Each member needs their own Nintendo Account. You’ll need their email addresses and, if they’re minors, you’ll set up parental controls.
- Share Games with Family Members: After setting up the family group, everyone can download the purchased games from the eShop onto their own consoles. But remember, each game can only be shared with one family member at a time, and the sharing period lasts for two weeks. Once it ends, the game returns to the original account, and you can manually renew it.
Game Sharing on Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2 made game sharing even easier with Virtual Game Cards. Here’s how:
- Eject and Load Virtual Game Cards: On your Nintendo Switch 2, you can “eject” a game from the management screen to create a Virtual Game Card. The ejected game is unplayable on the original console but can be “loaded” onto another Switch or Switch 2. Any user on that console can play it without restrictions.
- Share via Family Group: Similar to the first Switch, you can lend Virtual Game Cards to family members in your Nintendo Account’s family group. Each member can borrow one game at a time for up to two weeks. After the borrowing period ends, the game returns to the original account.
Precautions for Game Sharing
- Trustworthy Sharing Partners: Since you’ll be sharing your Nintendo Account, only do this with people you trust to avoid any misuse of your account or games.
- Save Data Management: Multiple users playing the same game might lead to save data conflicts. Use cloud saves or local save data transfers to manage and avoid overwriting issues.
- Network Requirements: A stable internet connection is usually necessary for downloading shared games or accessing online features.
By following these methods and keeping the precautions in mind, you can easily share games on Nintendo Switch and have a blast with your friends and family. Nintendo may update its game-sharing policies, so it’s a good idea to check their official website for the latest info.
Happy gaming!

Want to share your Nintendo Switch games with a buddy or family member? You can totally do that! You just need to juggle your Nintendo account between two consoles. Let’s break it down so you can get set up without a hitch.
Step-by-Step Guide to Game Sharing
- Buy the Game: First things first, make sure you snag the digital game you’re itching to share using your account. You can’t share stuff you haven’t bought or downloaded.
- Download the Game: Got the game? Great! Get it fully downloaded onto your main Nintendo Switch console.
- Kinda Weird Step Ahead: Deactivate Your Primary Console:
- Head over to the Nintendo eShop on your main console.
- Click on your profile pic up in the corner.
- Scroll till you hit “Primary Console.” That’s your target.
- Deactivate that sucker—you can only call one console your main squeeze at a time.
- Make the Switch (Pun Intended):
- Log in to the second Nintendo Switch using your account—the one with all the games.
- This Switch becomes your new main console since you ditched the primary status on your old one.
- Get the Game Going on Console Number Two: Once you’re logged in, pop back into the eShop and download the game on this second console.
- Game Time:
- Your first console (now secondary) can still rock your games, but you gotta be online to verify each game kick-off.
- Console number two allows its users to play downloaded games offline—sweet deal!
Heads Up
- One Person Game Time: Only one can play a shared game at a time. Two consoles trying to play online simultaneously with the same account? Not happening. Someone gets benched.
- Secondary Console Online Hang Up: Keep your secondary console hooked up to the internet to dive into shared games.
- Don’t Nuke Your Profile: Don’t go wiping your user profile off the Switch—it could zap your saved data unless you’ve got it backed up in the cloud.
- Local Co-op Hangups: Local multiplayer using game sharing? Nope. Grab separate consoles for online or local team-ups.
Follow these steps to keep everyone gaming happily while sticking to the rules Nintendo has in place.

Hey there! So, you’re thinking about sharing games on the Nintendo Switch, huh? It’s a pretty sweet way to spread the fun, especially if you’re trying to save some cash with friends or family. Let’s break it down in a way that doesn’t feel like a tech manual, shall we?
First off, you’ve got this neat feature where you can set up a “primary” and “non-primary” system. It’s like lending a buddy your game cartridge, but for digital games. Here’s the scoop:
Primary Console: This is the first place you log in with your Nintendo Account and download your games. Any account on this Switch can play your games, and the best part? No need to check for internet each time. It just works!
Non-Primary Console: Here’s where things get a little tricky. Only you can play the games using your account on this one, and you’ll need to be connected to the web every time you start up a game. Yeah, a bit of a hassle, but them’s the breaks.
Now, let’s get into the setup:
Setting the Stage
Primary Console Setup:
- Log in with your Nintendo Account.
- Hit up the eShop and grab those games.
- Let everyone else on the console enjoy the games too!
Non-Primary Console Setup:
- Sign in with that same account.
- Download your faves from the eShop.
- Don’t forget, only your profile will work here, and you gotta stay online.
Wanna get the whole family in on it? Create some child accounts under a family membership. That way, the kiddos can play on their own consoles without you needing to buy the game multiple times.
A little heads-up: Non-primary consoles need to check the internet to make sure you actually own the game. Lose the connection, and bam! You’re temporarily out of luck. Bummer, right?
Troubles? We’ve Got Your Back
Can’t launch that game?
- Maybe the internet’s being a jerk again. Make sure you’re online.
- Make sure you’re logged in with the right account.
Downloads hitting a wall?
- Check if your Wi-Fi’s acting up, and reboot that bad boy if needed.
- Sometimes it’s all about the eShop regions not matching. It’s a thing.
Fighting over who gets to play?
- If two people are trying to play the same game at the same time, that’s a no-go. Share nicely, okay?
A Few Things to Keep in Mind
- Only the account that actually bought the game can play on a non-primary console.
- Shopping on the eShop? You’ve got to do it on the primary console, unless you deactivate it.
- Keep both systems online now and then so they can get game updates and license verifications. Otherwise, you might run into some hiccups.
If you’re more of a physical game kind of person, just swap those cartridges between consoles. But honestly, digital sharing just makes life easier for multi-Switch households.
Follow these tips, and you’ll be a game-sharing pro in no time! Make sure your setups are solid, and you’ll avoid most of the common headaches.

Here’s How to Share Your Nintendo Switch Games: A Quick Guide
Want to share your Nintendo Switch games with a buddy? No problem! It’s super easy to do, and I’ll walk you through the basics right here.
Setting up Your Main Console
First things first, make sure your Nintendo Account is good to go on your main console. You’ll need to have the account linked and set your console as the “primary” one. Just dive into your ‘System Settings,’ hit up ‘Users,’ pick ‘Your User,’ find ‘Nintendo Account,’ and in the ‘eShop,’ select your icon, scroll down to ‘Primary Console,’ and voila—you’re set!
Bringing Your Account to a Second Console
Ready for the next step? Pop your account onto that second console by creating a new user profile there. After you’ve done that, open up the Nintendo eShop using your account and get those games downloading from your library.
Navigating Game Access
Here’s the deal on playing your games once they’re on both consoles:
- On the Main Console: Anyone can get in on the action with your games—even offline. Easy peasy!
- On the Second Console: You’ll need to be online to make sure you’re the game owner before playing. Keep in mind, you can’t be playing the same game on both consoles simultaneously.
Getting in the Game
- Main Console: It’s a free-for-all — any user can enjoy those downloaded games.
- Second Console: Only the profile linked to your Nintendo account can jump in the fun.
Extras & Good-to-Knows
- Transferring Save Data: If you have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, you can leverage ‘Save Data Cloud’ to jump your save files between consoles.
- Keep Track: You might want to check all the consoles linked to your Nintendo Account now and again to stay secure.
By following along, you’ll have your digital games shared smoothly between Switch consoles and share the love with friends.
There you have it—happy gaming!