3w ago

Switch users say Virtual Game Cards are a "downgrade" as online game sharing changes

www.eurogamer.net

Nintendo Switch owners with the console's latest system update have noted that it is no longer possible to play the same digital game online across two systems simultaneously.

Previously, a Switch designated as a primary console could load up a digital game and play online alongside the owner of that game logged in via a second Switch.

TLDR: You could share bread as long as they are in the same store, now you have to either lend your bread priviledges to a friend or make them buy it for themselves.

actually forget this tldr, no one will understand it, not even myself, I don't own a switch.

32 comments

Interesting -- I thought they always restricted it to only one user playing the same game online at a time!
- I thought that as well, otherwise the whole world could just use one account to play. Where was the limit?
  
  You can only set one Switch as primary account.
  you can play with your own account in your own switch, while your friend plays in his Switch that is set as your account's primary. Previously both can play the same game at the same time (I did a while ago to play MH rise with my friend, using one game and one NSO subscription). Seems this is no longer possible after the new update
  
  Did you both play online, i guess MH Rise only works online. If that was possible i'm surprised. On ps4/5 it's for sure not possible, but i never tried it on the switch.
  
  Yes, we did play online on the same party. In contrast, we can't play local network party together so need to be Online
  
  Well, families on NSO have a limit of 8 users. So I thought 1 could play online, and 7 offline at most.
  
  It might depend on the game, but I could play Splatoon 3 with my kids online at the same time. We'd play on the same team and everything. Now I have to buy another virtual copy. Which I guess is fair from Nintendo's perspective, but fuck $80 a game in today's economy and they won't even let me play with my kids when:
  the game has no split screen option
  I pay for a family NSO account
  Pretty shitty.
- Previously:
  You have a Nintendo account. Under your account is your primary device. You buy a game under your Nintendo account. You can then play on any device that you're signed into. Or any account on your primary device can play the game. (Xbox had this same setup for years.) Working example: you buy Mario Kart. Your friend comes over. You sign in on your friend's Switch, and hand them your switch and they use any other account on the device (including local). You then can both play the same copy/license of Mario Kart.
  Now there are two options: virtual game cards, and online licensing. VGC is what all of the noise/confusion is about. Online licensing is very similar to the old method, but they closed the loophole I outlined above.
  
  The "loophole" that they included on their website?
  If multiple users want to play the same game at the same time:
  The user that purchased the game should play on a system that is not the shared console (a non-primary console). This console will need to have an active internet connection. The user that did not purchase the game should play on the shared console (the primary console for the user that purchased the game).
  
  Yes but in that site it's also this:
  Error Code: 2819-0003, "Play is being suspended." This error code usually indicates that your Nintendo Account is being used to play your digital content on another console. You cannot use your Nintendo Account to access games on multiple systems simultaneously. For more details, read Error Code: 2819-0003.

32 comments