A Guide to Switch 2’s Virtual Game Cards and Game-Key Cards

Nintendo’s Switch 2 has caused considerable uproar since its release, and for good reason—there’s so much to love about the next-gen handheld. One particular point of interest is the Switch 2’s Virtual Game Cards system and how it operates. Nintendo’s new game share strategy with the virtual cards is not exclusive to the Switch 2 and was introduced to the original models with a software update in late April 2025.

The Switch 2 software update uses virtual cards to allow users to manage their digital game library using a system that mimics physical game cards. It is designed to make it easier to share games across devices, but some fans believe it has complicated things instead. Wondering how the Switch 2’s Virtual Game Cards work? It’s actually quite straightforward.

Key Features of the Nintendo Switch 2’s Virtual Game Cards

The new Nintendo Virtual Game Cards system allows gamers to get digital games from the Nintendo eShop, which are automatically converted into Cards. These are viewable through a Virtual Game Cards app section on the Switch Home menu. The cards are easy to sort through and rearrange to show users their full list of available titles in one place.

Cross-Device Portability Made Easy with the Switch 2 Virtual Card Update

The Switch 2’s introduction of the Virtual Game Cards is designed to make it easier for existing Switch users to buy and use the new console and have their games available on both. Two consoles can be linked to a single Nintendo account to share the cards.

Games can be virtually “ejected” much like a physical card and loaded onto another. This process is automatic when selecting a game on the target console and no manual ejection is necessary. An internet connection and local wireless pairing are required in the initial pairing of the consoles. When a game is launched on the console for the first time on a new console, you require internet access again.

Of course, Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive games can only be played on the Switch 2.

Game Lending with Nintendo’s Virtual Cards

These Virtual Game Cards can be lent to members who belong to the Nintendo Account Family Group—which allows up to eight members—via a local wireless connection and an internet connection. How does it work?

• You can lend up to three games at a time
• Borrowers can only have one borrowed game loaded on their device
• Games can be lent for 14 days, after which it automatically goes back to the sender
• Borrowers can hold on to their saved data for when they borrow the game again

Offline Play Is Possible After the Virtual Card Is Loaded on the System

The Nintendo game share option for Virtual Cards will allow you to play a game offline after an internet connection is used to load up the game for the first time. These Virtual Game Cards can also be managed on the Nintendo website if you find it more convenient to view everything on your PC. 

There is a Nintendo Switch online game share loophole that some have pointed out. Lending out a card essentially ensures that the original console can no longer play the game until returned to the console. It is possible to go to your profile and enable the Online License Settings. 

This should allow one console to play the game offline while the other plays online. This effectively cancels out any possibility of both players experiencing the game together online, but it’s a small victory for those who still want to be able to play their games.

You Can Hide Switch Virtual Game Cards

If you want to keep some games to yourself and don’t want to open the doors to card sharing, you can do that too. This might be particularly useful for parents who want to keep some games away from kids. Unfortunately, the process to do so is rather cumbersome, and you need to unhide and reload the game in order to be able to play it again. 

Okay, but What Are Game-Key Cards?

The names sound confusingly similar but Nintendo Switch 2’s Game-Key Cards are another, entirely separate feature. These Game-Key Cards are a new type of physical media that launches in June. Traditional game cards previously contained the full data related to a game and could be added to your device to play a game. More recently, we moved to a system where a digital code was available in the box to download a game.

Now, the Game-Key Cards act like physical “keys” that can be interested in a console to authenticate and enable you to download the rest of the game online. To be able to play the game, you need to find and insert the card. Standard game cards will likely still be available, but publishers will be able to choose how they want to release their games. What does this change mean for players?

Features of the Nintendo Switch 2 Game-Key Cards

The Game-Key Card system is a little different from the Switch 2’s Virtual Game Cards, so here are a few details to remember.

• The Game-Key Cards can be bought and physically inserted into the console
• They only contain the key to authenticate the rest of the download
• Once a Game-Key Card is inserted, you can go to the HOME Menu for instructions on downloading the game
• An internet connection and sufficient space on the microSD Express card is required 
• The internet connection is no longer required after the initial download, but the card needs to remain inserted

What are the Advantages of Game-Key Cards?

Keeping your physical Game-Key Cards organized and inserted when you want to play a game can be quite inconvenient—it’s an ability that new-age consoles have taught us to forget. Still, there are some advantages to the cards.

• Game-Key Cards are not tied to a single Nintendo Account like eShop purchases 
• This makes them more resellable, lendable, and transferable 
• If you finish a game and want to sell it, it’s much easier to hand it over to someone else
• Enable retain releases of games that exceed the 64GB capacity of the standard Switch 2 game cards, since the majority of content is to be downloaded straight to the device

Sure, the masquerade of releasing this essentially digital card as a physical key has rightfully upset fans beyond measure, but we expect this to be the new normal for gaming. 

All these are game-key cards. Physical media is so over. pic.twitter.com/zobG0BhS6C

— Kābī (@KirPinkFury) April 23, 2025

Nintendo’s New Systems Will Take Some Getting Used To

Fans have expressed considerable confusion over these new systems and how to navigate them. Everything about Nintendo’s latest release has been encased in delight and controversy, but the console still looks like its popularity is not about to die down.

Overall, the new Switch 2 Virtual Game Cards and Game-Key Cards both have some advantages and disadvantages that you’ll need to make peace with if you decide to buy the new console. Getting your hands on the Switch 2 may be harder than expected considering the higher price and the unrelenting demand for it, but we’re praying that luck is on your side.

Have more questions about the Switch 2 Virtual Game Cards or Game-Key Cards? Let us know. Subscribe to Technowize for more updates on all things tech and gaming.