"Nintendo Switch Update Closes Popular Game Sharing Loophole"

The latest Nintendo Switch system update has introduced the Virtual Game Cards system, a significant change that will also be implemented in the upcoming Switch 2. This update has notably closed a popular loophole that allowed users to play the same digital game online simultaneously across two different Switch consoles.

Previously, as reported by Eurogamer, a Switch owner could launch a game on their primary console and play it online while another user logged into the same account on a secondary Switch could also play the game online at the same time. However, with the introduction of Virtual Game Cards, this is no longer possible.

Despite this change, there is a workaround for playing a single copy of a digital game across two Switches. Users can go offline to play the game. By navigating to the user settings and enabling the "Online Licenses" option, a digital game can be played without the need for the Virtual Game Card, provided the game is not being played elsewhere or the Switch playing it is set to offline mode. The setting's description reads:

"If this option is enabled, purchased digital software will be playable while the console is connected to the internet, even when the virtual game card for that software isn't loaded to the console. However, when using an online licence, only the user signed into the Nintendo Account that was used to purchase the software will be able to play it; it will not be playable for other users on the console. Your virtual game cards can be used to play software regardless of this setting. Online licences cannot be used on multiple consoles at the same time. The online licence and virtual game card for a software title cannot be used at the same time."

In essence, if one Switch is offline, the same game can still be played on another Switch at the same time. Eurogamer has tested and confirmed that this method works. The primary change is that the ability to play the same game online simultaneously on two Switches is no longer an option.

The community response to these changes has been largely negative, with many users expressing frustration on platforms like ResetEra and Reddit. The loss of the ability to play online at the same time is particularly irksome for families and groups who enjoyed playing games like Splatoon or Minecraft together. For families, this change means potentially doubling the cost of games if multiple children want to play simultaneously on different Switches.

As the Switch 2 launch approaches, set to utilize the same system, another change to note is the introduction of Game-Key Cards. These will be used for certain games on the Switch 2, where the physical cartridge will not contain the full game, requiring an additional online download to complete the installation.