Nintendo has finally made game sharing official with the new 6.0 firmware update. Before the update, it was still possible, however, the process was extremely annoying and unsafe. The new method is much safer and this guide will show you how to do it.
Step 1:
Go to System Settings once you turn on your switch.
Step 2:
Go to the User tab and select Add User. Make a new user, and select the OK button.
Step 3:
Select the button that says “Link a Nintendo Account” (it should pop up after you select OK) and then you will be sent to a white screen that should show you options to link a Nintendo Account to the user.
Step 4:
Click “Sign in using an external account” and sign in with whichever service you need to use for that user.
Step 5:
Once that user is Linked to a Nintendo Account, head to the eshop with that user and click the user’s icon in the top right corner. Head down to the redownload tab, and click the cloud icon next to any of the games you want in that section. This lets you start downloading the game you choose.
Note: Some people own both the full game and a demo version of a game. Make sure that you download the right one you want to download (in most cases, the full game download).
Step 6:
Head back to the home menu on your Nintendo Switch console and see if your download has started. It should look something like the screenshot below.
When the game has finished downloading, you will be able to play it just like you own the game. Just make sure you select the right user to play it, otherwise you wouldn’t be able to play the game.
Questions and Answers about game sharing on the Nintendo Switch
Q: Wait, so there’s no more having to link/unlink consoles through the eshop to be able to play/download the games?
A: Nope, that’s now considered old and inefficient.
Q: Can you still download the games from one account and use a different user to play said game?
A: Sadly, no. It has to be with the user who actually owns the games.
Q: Can the actual person with the account play a game and the other person who doesn’t actually own the account play the same game/different games?
A: Both parties can’t play the same game at the time. One user playing a retail game with DLC or a digital game cancels out the other person (or people) playing one of your digital games. It seems the only way for both users to be able to play the game regularly is if the original user plays a retail game with no downloadable content and the other plays a digital game. We have, however, found a workaround to this. If the original owner of the games puts their Nintendo Switch in airplane mode, the other user can still play digital games while the original owner plays either a retail game with DLC, or a digital game as well. We are unsure if the original owner can play a retail game with no DLC online while the other user plays a digital game.
Be careful who you game share with. If you do not trust them, simply do not do it.
