Nintendo is changing the way the digital game works

Nintendo is overhaul How to download digital activities above Nintendo switch And Transfer 2 With a new feature, it is called a virtual game card. The virtual game card, which the company said in Nintendo Direct Livestream on Thursday will be released in late April, designed to better simulate the flexibility of physical games.

It works like this: After buying the digital version of the game, the virtual card is downloaded to the player's switch. Players can download or push these game cards; With two systems, one player can push a game on one system and upload it to another system to play from that handheld device. Although players will need a local connection to do so, it allows them to exchange multiple games between systems quickly.

This feature can basically change the landscape for digital download games, becoming more and more popular over the years when traditional retailers have closed and physical copies have become less important for some players. Digital copies provide quickly and easily to get a new game, as long as players have an internet connection. But the ownership of a digital game is much more murky than physical vehicles. Companies may Eliminate digital games From stores at any time, and there is no interesting secondary market for collectors. It is also impossible to resell a digital game or lending without sharing account details.

What Nintendo is doing with the virtual game card provides some flexibility at that final point. Virtual cards can be lent to other players through local connections in family groups, linking some Nintendo accounts. But only one game can be shared between two people at once in two weeks. It is not clear whether a borrowed game can still be played by the original owner. Wired contacted Nintendo for clarification and will update accordingly.

Producing and selling physical media and control panels will have a big push in the US if President Trump monitors with the proposed tax rates in Canada, China and Mexico, where many video game components are made. The recreational software association has been released A statement in February Warning that tariffs on video games and related products will negatively affect hundreds of millions of Americans and will harm the significant contributions of the industry to the US economy. Tariffs can increase prices and reduce the use of physical games, making digital games more attractive to consumers.

Although Nintendo shared many details about virtual game cards in the event on Thursday, it did not share any news about Transfer 2. Another Nintendo directly focused on the new control panel planned for April 2. The company has provided a brief view of Metroid Prime 4: BeyondIt will bring its heroic Samus mysterious new physical ability. The game is still expected this year, although the release date will certainly be published with The Switch 2 News next week.