Nintendo Switch update brings two major Switch 2 features ready for the console's launch

The Nintendo Switch just got a new update that is set to bridge the gap between this console generation and the next.

Hype for the has been one hell of a rollercoaster. The reveal of the major new console in the led to an awful lot of excitement, announcing that would touch down on day one along with , and that it would be coming in mere months.

The price reveal of the console that came afterwards shocked players everywhere, and with the announcement of the price of games, many swore it off entirely, at least until there are more games to play with. There are heaps to come, though, and regardless of whether you go for it straight away, it’s a major shift for .

It seems that this new era is here already, too, as a new update has hit the to prepare it for its coalescence with the company’s new era of hardware output.

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GameSharing the love

Nintendo has revealed in a on the Nintendo Support website that a new update has arrived on Nintendo Switch systems, which is packing a few interesting changes – chief among them, though, is a couple of additions that adds Nintendo Switch 2-led features to the system’s homepage that indicate that we’re already wading into the era of the new console.

The 20.0.0 update has added the Virtual Game Card and GameShare features, offering players the chance to share their games and DLC virtually with friends, and share software with different users akin to the Nintendo DS’ Download Play feature. There is also a new feature that will allow players to transfer their save data from their current console to a Nintendo Switch 2.

The arrival of the Virtual Game Card feature, first revealed in the , is an exciting means for players to allow their friends to play their own games and vice versa. GameShare is different, though, and in its current state, only serves as a platform to be connected to by a Nintendo Switch 2 console, as it is predominantly a feature designed for the new console. This does mean that your Nintendo Switch will become far more useful throughout the lift cycle of the Switch 2, but for now, it’s all but useless as a feature.

Full patch notes can be found down below.

Nintendo Switch 20.0.0 update patch notes

The following icons for new features have been added to the HOME Menu:

Virtual Game Card

• Purchased Nintendo Switch digital software, DLC, and some free software, are now virtual game cards and displayed in a list in this menu.
• You can virtually load and eject virtual game cards between up to two Nintendo Switch systems.
• Virtual game cards can be lent to others in the same Nintendo Account family group.

GameShare

• Compatible software can be shared from a Nintendo Switch 2 system to other nearby system(s) to play together.
• You can only play together via local wireless, and the Nintendo Switch 2 system must initiate GameShare.
• This feature cannot be used between two Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch – OLED Model and/or Nintendo Switch Lite systems.

• User-Verification Settings has been added under User > User Settings.
• You can restrict access to the Virtual Game Card menu by requiring entry of a PIN or signing in to your Nintendo Account.

• Online License Settings has been added.
• When turned on, you can play downloaded software or DLC you've purchased while the system is connected to the internet, even if you don't have the virtual game card loaded.
• For more information, please refer to the details about the option on the System Settings screen.

• The Nintendo eShop and Nintendo Switch News icon colors on the HOME Menu have been changed.
• Multiple save data can be selected and transferred at once in “Transfer Your Save Data” menu.

• System Transfer to Nintendo Switch 2 has been added under System Settings > System.
• You can perform a system transfer from your Nintendo Switch to Nintendo Switch 2 using local communication.
• For users that will lose access to their Nintendo Switch before receiving their Nintendo Switch 2, there is an option to upload system transfer data to a dedicated server which can then be retrieved on their Nintendo Switch 2. After you upload your system transfer data to the dedicated server, the Nintendo Switch system will be initialized to factory settings, so only perform this transfer if you’ll be able to complete the transfer on Nintendo Switch 2.
• If you want to continue using your Nintendo Switch until you have a Nintendo Switch 2, we recommend completing the system transfer using local communication after you have acquired a Nintendo Switch 2 system.
• An internet connection and Nintendo Account is required to complete both local and the server-based system transfer service.
• For more information, see System Transfer from Nintendo Switch to Nintendo Switch 2.

• The appearance of some user icons have been updated.

A number of other features have been revealed, including the appearance of changeable Online License Settings and a couple of icon colour changes, but it’s the arrival of Virtual Game Cards and GameShare that has made this update so interesting, taking us one step closer to the arrival of a new era for Nintendo. More updates like this are expected down the line but for now, we’re another toe into the waters of the Nintendo Switch 2, as if our excitement wasn’t already accelerating at an incredible pace anyway.