So I would like to have a discussion about Virtual Game Cards from Nintendo, but first if you don’t know what I’m talking about, you can check out this video:
Ok, so, it looks like Virtual Game Cards are a way for you to share video games with yourself (if you have multiple switches) and family.
Let’s tackle this in 2 parts.
- Sharing with yourself if you have multiple switch systems, like a Nintendo Switch and a Nintendo Switch 2 when it comes out.
You are supposed to log into both switches and at least the first time both systems will have to make a local connection with each other. So you’ll need to have both in front of you.
What I don’t like here is the fact that you need to eject the virtual game card from System A so that you can then load it into System B.
Let’s say you’re on vacation, you brought one of your switch systems with you and left the other one home. It’s the end of an exciting vacation day, you want to sit back and enjoy some games, you pick up your switch and then you try to load up one of your games but then it turns out you forgot to eject it from the Switch at home. So now you can’t play your games??
I absolutely hate this because that’s not how it works on PC. On Steam, it doesn’t matter if I have 5 gaming PCs, I can install steam on all 5 and I can install my games on all 5. I can only play on one at a time, but at least my whole library is available on any one of them.
This is easier than the current way of managing 2 Switch systems, basically they always have to be connected to the internet in order to play on the 2nd switch but at least your full library was still available. So yea, in a way, it sounds better than the current system, but then it’s also kind of limited.
Now, the 2nd part, lending to family members. Well, of course they have to be part of your family group, which is up to 8 people. That’s fine, I’m not even going to complain about that.
When you lend a game to your family member, it’s only theirs for up to 14 days, then it automatically comes back to you. That’s fine too because I assume they will still have the game install and the save, they just won’t be able to continue the game till you lend it to them again. So that’s fine.
What I hate is how you will always need to do a local connection in order to lend a game out. Soooooo, it’s bad enough that it has to be someone in your family group, but then it also has to be someone that’s physically there with you. So if your little brother is out in college, you can’t lend him your games because he’s not there physically to do the trade. This is the part that I hate.
I hate all these restrictions. I still don’t know if you’ll be able to play games on both of your own Nintendo Switch Systems at the same time since obviously you won’t be playing the same game. Or will it still force you to play with only 1 switch at a time?
Also what about if you have more than 2? Will it still work with 3? 4? No idea.
If you can play different games on different systems that are all under your own account, I would say that’s certainly better (although I still dont’ see why you need to do the whole loading and ejecting thing). Since I know you can’t do that with Steam.
This is why even though it can be more of a hassle, I’ll be sticking with Physical media for the Switch and Switch 2. Although this news does scare me a bit, make me wonder if Nintendo is planning on getting rid of physical.
All these restrictions simply make things more difficult on people that are trying to do things legally anyway. People who pirate don’t have to worry about any of this. That’s the thing that’s even more annoying, how do they not see that when people really want to do things the wrong way, it’s super easy, barely an inconvenience.
Thoughts?