Nintendo Switch virtual gaming cards are punitive and regressive

With the release of the Switch 2. Nevertheless, the owners of several Nintendo consoles gradually discover virtual game cards, a new invention of the Japanese brand deployed since the end of April. Furthermore,

The concept of “virtual game cards” is as follows: for each dematerialized game. Similarly, Nintendo creates A software license valid only on a console. Therefore, The idea is to allow people who have several consoles to switch a game from one switch to another easily. However, transferring this license. However, Nintendo also boasts being able to lend a game for 14 nintendo switch virtual gaming cards days, provided you belong to the same family sharing. Similarly, The players had initially welcomed this novelty with joy, undoubtedly by naivety.

In reality and unsurprisingly, virtual game cards have another role: strictly supervising virtual games sharing with a DRM mechanism. However, If there are a few advantages with this system (we find all its library in the same place for example). Furthermore, there are many inconveniences for players, who gradually understand that Nintendo has set up a system to control everything at the expense of the user experience.

Synchronization of consoles, limit of two consoles, blocked cards … Furthermore, Virtual cards are hellish

In the old system. However, it was enough to connect to the account of a friend to have access to his game library. Moreover, Nintendo used a system of “main console” and “secondary console” similar to that of PlayStation. Meanwhile, A game installed on nintendo switch virtual gaming cards a player’s main console could be launched by all users. However, a game installed on a secondary console only worked from the user’s account that bought it. Consequently, Thanks to this mechanism. Similarly, it was technically possible to install a game in two consoles and play it at the same time (Mario map for example, locally, or Animal Crossing).

With virtual cards, Nintendo completely blocks this possibility. For example, Since a virtual card can only be “loaded” on a single console. Nevertheless, It is impossible to play the same game on two consoles. Meanwhile, To go from one console to another. In addition, you must transfer a game each time from the submenu Virtual game cardswith a compulsory internet connection so that the license can be deactivated from the old console. Therefore,

nintendo switch virtual gaming cards

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Another silly limit : Nintendo limits its sharing system to two consoles. A family with a switch 1. a Switch Lite and a Switch 2 cannot twin the three consoles between them: only the first two can exchange their games.

The third. if it wishes to be used, must nintendo switch virtual gaming cards systematically be twinned before a transfer, which implies desynchronizing one of the other two consoles, then to twin the third (and to repeat the process with each change). A punitive and binding processsince he forces consoles to be physically in the same room.

Indeed, To combine two consoles, they must be glued to each other. Once the synchronization is complete, then future transfers can be done remotely, by internet. But if you have the misfortune to be on vacation without the other console on the day of your first transfer. it will be impossible for you to recover a game that you have bought. A physical synchronization of the two consoles is compulsory. An unworthy limit of 2025, which only aims to encourage people not to share their games and buy them twice.

Another problem: under this new configuration, dematerialized games depend on the internet. Just a connection problem to get a frustrating “Unable to eject the virtual game card because the other console. is offline”without a way to launch his game on his console. Nintendo has absolutely not thought of the user experience. Umpteenth problem: In case of loss of a consoleit is no longer enough to retelify a game to recover it. We can declare a lost console to unlock your cartridges, but it is a radical mechanism. The transfer of a game also forces it to update it And therefore to waste time.

Numerama. who has one of his journalists in Douai and the other in Paris, witnesses it: a round trip by train will be compulsory to transfer a game.

Nintendo switch virtual gaming cards

Lend games to a friend for 14 days: a good thing but a nintendo switch virtual gaming cards bad implementation

To justify the existence of its virtual gaming cards. Nintendo praised the possibility of lending its dematerialized games to your friends, “As with a physical cartridge”. In reality. there are several restrictions:

• The loan of a game is only possible for two members of a family sharing. A friend who pays his SWITCH online subscription separately cannot receive a virtual card.
• The lending of the game requires putting the two consoles in the same room. it is not possible to send a game to your brother to the other end of France.
• The 14 -day limit is very frustrating. since it prevents prolonging the loan on the 15th day if the source console is not with you physically.

In view of the limits of this system. the easiest way is to connect to your friend’s account and load your game on your console. But we then come back to the synchronization problem: only two physically paired consoles can exchange games. Nintendo has designed a nightmare for players and makes dematerialized games much less simple than in the past.

Online License: the means of “getting around” virtual gaming cards

The good news is that nintendo switch virtual gaming cards there. is an escape for users frustrated by the complexity of virtual cards. But he is imperfect.

In User settingssection Online licenses parametersan option called Use online licenses Allows you to partially bypass the virtual card system. Once activated. this feature allows you to launch any game or DLC downloaded even if its virtual card is not loaded on the console, provided you stay connected to the Internet. The objective is to reduce the loading trips between virtual cards, which can quickly become tedious.

However, this solution is not a return to the old nintendo switch virtual gaming cards system. It requires a permanent internet connection to operate. blocks the game on two simultaneous consoles, since there is no longer a main console. It is still a question of the best way of no longer struggling to move from one console to another. provided you do not want to play on the train or on the plane …

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