Nintendo will now let your Switch games to your friends

Nintendo is reviewing the operation of digital downloads in Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 with a new function called “Virtual Game Cards”. During the Nintendo Direct event, the company revealed that the cards will arrive at the end of April. These are designed to better imitate the flexibility of physical games.

This is how virtual game cards work

After buying a digital version of a game, the virtual card is loaded in the player’s switch. The Gamers They can load or expel game cards; With two systems, you can expel a card and load another to use it in a portable console. Although players will need a local connection to do so, this function will allow them to exchange several games between systems.

This function could change the panorama of the digitally downloaded games, which have become increasingly popular in recent years, with the closure of physical stores and the loss of importance of physical copies. The digital duplicate is a quick and simple way to get a new game, provided that the user has an Internet connection. However, the property of a digital video game goes beyond physical supports; At any time, companies can remove digital games from stores, and there is no attractive secondary market for collectors. Nor is it possible to resell the digital game or provide it without sharing the account data.

What Nintendo is doing with virtual cards offers some flexibility at this last point. Virtual cards can be lent to other players through a local connection in family groups, which link several Nintendo accounts. But you can only share one game between two people at the same time, for a period of two weeks. It is not clear if the original owner can access a video game borrowed. Wired has contacted the company to clarify this issue.

American tariffs on cars hit the European automotive industry

Joint imports of cars from members of the European Union have a value close to 44,064 million dollars, a figure that would only be exceeded by Mexican exports.

Tariffs step on industry’s heels

The production and sale of consoles and physical video games will be seriously affected in the US if President Trump continues with the tariffs proposed to Canada, China and Mexico, where many video game components are manufactured. In February, the Entertainment Software Association published a statement in which it warned that “tariffs on video games and related products would negatively affect hundreds of millions of Americans and harm the important contributions of the industry to the economy.” Tariffs could both increase prices and reduce the availability of physical games products, making digital copies more attractive to consumers.

Although Nintendo shared many details about virtual game cards during his event, he did not mention any novelty about the Switch 2. Another Nintendo Direct is planned for April 2, which could focus on this new console. The company did offer a brief look at the video game Metroid Prime 4: Beyondwhich will provide Samus with new and mysterious physical skills. The launch details are still uncertain; However, it is possible that the date will be released next week, along with the news about Switch 2.

Article originally published in Wired. Adapted by Alondra Flores.