Those lucky enough to have pre-ordered the Nintendo Switch 2 are probably counting down the days until the console arrives on June 5. Nintendo is laying the groundwork for its upcoming system by releasing an update to the original Switch that adds support for several key features.
One of them you can start using right now is the virtual game card feature. It allows you to lend digital games to friends and family members who share the same Nintendo family account. Nintendo says the goal of this feature is to make sharing digital games with your loved ones as easy as borrowing a physical game card. The key caveat is that in order to borrow a game, you need to be connected to another Switch system locally. Switch 2 will also support this feature.
Additionally, Nintendo has enabled cloud-based data transfer for those upgrading to Switch 2. After updating your Switch software to version 20.0.0, you’ll see an option in the System settings section to “Transfer system to Nintendo Switch 2”. This will allow you to locally transfer all of your data to Switch 2 as soon as you have the newest console.
There’s also an option to send all the transferred data to the cloud right now. This can come in handy if you’re planning to sell your Nintendo Switch console to get the money to buy a new system. You’ll be able to do this immediately to prepare for your Switch 2 purchase. The main drawback is that uploading data to the cloud will reset your Switch to factory settings, so it might not be worth it if you still plan to play on it for the next month (or until you get your Switch 2).
Nintendo will keep the data on their servers for one year. During this time, you can either complete the transfer to Switch 2 or cancel the transfer and download your data back to Switch.
The latest Switch system update adds support for another key feature. It’s called GameShare, and it enables local wireless multiplayer play between multiple Switch systems. To do this, only one person needs to own a copy of the compatible game. However, you can’t do anything with GameShare yet. You’ll only be able to share games with Switch 2, but you’ll be able to do so on Switch, Switch Lite, and other Switch 2 devices.
