With so many owners Nintendo Switch out there (about 32 million units sold by the end of 2018), and with the growing sales of digital games, the Nintendo now allows the account sharing between users and, consequently, their games. As? Stay tuned for the article and we will answer all your questions!

One primary console, multiple secondaries

share accounts on Nintendo Switch it's a simple task, and, despite having some limitations, it allows a person to enjoy games purchased in digital format by someone else. For this, it is first important to ensure that the owner of digital games has their Nintendo Switch as the primary console for the linked account.

Na support page da Nintendo, it is explained that the first device that logs in with an account will be considered the primary console for her. Any other Nintendo Switch that uses the same account will therefore be considered as secondary. Several consoles can be secondary to the same account, but only one Switch can use the same software at a time.

In practice, if a Nintendo Switch is playing a game through the shared account and the account is opened on another device, the first user will be interrupted, while access is allowed to the second device to connect to the shared account.

Therefore, it is recommended that people who share an account combine the times to use it, so as not to interrupt anyone's play. The exception, of course, is for the primary console, which will always have preference when using software.

sharing an account

By now, you may have already realized the advantage of sharing accounts with friends, but some doubts probably still remain. The first of them: how to configure an account on a secondary console?

Step 1: Before going to the sharing itself, for security reasons it is important that the account owner, the person who will allow others to use their purchased games in digital format, confirms that their console is considered primary.

To do this, just start the eShop (the online store of Nintendo, accessible by the second icon from the bottom buttons) with the account that will be shared and then tap the user when the page is opened. There will be information that, for that account, the video game that accesses it is the primary one.

Step 2: After verification, the owner of the secondary console must create a new user through the video game menu: follow the path System Settings -> Users -> Add User and then select an icon and write a name for the new user, preferably one that allows you to easily identify the account owner.

Step 3: The next step is to link this new user to the account to be shared. The videogame itself will already pass to this stage. Simply select the “Link a Nintendo Account” option. Link to Nintendo Account).

You can access someone else's account from other accounts linked to the Nintendoas the Google, Facebook ou Twitter. As these accounts contain personal data, prefer the first option, which only requires the login and password used on the Nintendo Account.

Once the process is complete, you can download digital games belonging to the other person and play them on your Nintendo Switch, just access the eShop with the borrowed account, access the personal menu (the icon in the upper right corner of the screen) and tap redownload (or “Download again”) to see available games.

removing all doubts

Naturally, there are doubts about the service Nintendo Switch Online, saves saved in the cloud and other limitations imposed on sharing accounts on the hybrid console of Nintendo. That's why we've prepared a series of questions and answers with the biggest questions from users.

How many Nintendo Switch can use the same account simultaneously?

Only one. Apparently there is no limitation on the number of secondary consoles that the same account can have (we tested it on several devices), but only one of them can access the account at a time. The person opening any software with the shared account will log out the previous user, unless this is the primary console.

It is important to note that the two devices do not need to use the same game at the same time, as what is verified by Nintendo is that the account is in use, not the software.

What games can be accessed?

Any software purchased, free or for a fee, through the shared account can be downloaded on the secondary console.

How do I use a game downloaded from a shared account?

Contrary to what happens with primary devices, on secondary consoles only the account where the game was downloaded can use it. This means that, when starting the game on a secondary console, the player must select the user created specifically for the shared account, as we teach in this article.

Is a Nintendo Switch Online subscription required?

Not. Even though sharing accounts has been possible since the update that also brought the paid online service from Nintendo, the two things are not linked. However, it is necessary that the secondary console is connected to the internet in order to be able to use the shared software.

Is there any way to allow primary and secondary consoles to play at the same time?

Yes, it just might not be that convenient. As the only console that must be connected to the internet is the secondary one, it is enough for the primary video game player to turn off the Wi-Fi on their device or use it in a place without an internet connection.

Another way is to open a software from another account registered on the primary device, which will identify at Nintendo the shared account as available.

It should be noted that, in this case, the game's save data will be different, as the Nintendo Switch separates them by user and does not prevent use by users within the primary console.

what happens to the you know archived in the cloud?

Fortunately, it is possible to use the games without the risk of having their progress lost or modified by those who use a shared account. That's because the save is only stored in the cloud when used by the primary console account (and that has access to the service Nintendo Switch Online). Secondary consoles do their own storage of progress data, without linking it to the cloud.

Can I have my account suspended?

Not. Account sharing does not violate any of the Company's Terms of Conduct. Nintendo. The company itself has a specific support page where it gives brief explanations on how to carry out the process.

Time to play

Now that you know all about account sharing on Nintendo Switch, call your friends who have a unit of the device and enjoy each other's digital games, whether to enjoy the complete work or just to test a game before buying it.

Want to know what to play on Nintendo Switch? stay tuned on showmetech for news about Nintendo and about the video game industry in general.