Nintendo has rolled out the latest Switch firmware for the original console family, which adds some major new functionality to prepare the hardware for the Switch 2 launch in June. Switch firmware 20.0.0 is now available and brings with it, firstly, the Virtual Game Card feature that Nintendo showcased last month.
The Virtual Game Card feature now lets users manage their game licences right from their Home Screen. The new icon will let you load and inject virtual game cards between two Nintendo Switch systems. You can also borrow these virtual games to family members for a period of two weeks.
The feature will add a bit more freedom to how you manage your game licences, giving you access to a borrow and loan system without being restricted to your main console and your secondary one.
The ability to eject and load your games across two systems also means that users can play on the second Switch console without kicking the owner of the game off their account, even if they are playing a different game. Before, you would have to disable the Wi-Fi to prevent this from happening. Now, it checks the licence on a per-game basis.
The Switch firmware 20.0.0 also adds GameShare to the console. This is a new feature where Nintendo Switch 2 games can be shared with the original Switch console under certain conditions, and users can play together via local wireless.
Keep in mind that while GameShare supports the original Switch console family, these consoles cannot initiate GameShare, only join a game being hosted on the Switch 2. The first game to support this feature is Mario Party Jamboree. Users will be able to host a game board on the Switch 2, and other Switch, Switch OLED, and Switch Lite consoles can link to it and play the game on their own displays.
Nintendo is also making it easy to transfer your Switch to your new Switch 2 console, even if you won’t own the original console when the new hardware launches. The new firmware adds a “System Transfer to Nintendo Switch 2” option, where you can upload your system transfer data to a cloud server and download it when your Switch 2 arrives.
It is recommended that you upload this data at the very last minute to have the most up-to-date data backup available.
Here are the full patch notes for the latest firmware.
Ver. 20.0.0 (Released April 29, 2025)
- 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. For more information, see Virtual Game Card Guide.
- 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.
- Compatible software can be shared from a Nintendo Switch 2 system to other nearby system(s) to play together.
- Virtual Game Card
- 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.
- You can perform a system transfer from your Nintendo Switch to Nintendo Switch 2 using local communication.
- The appearance of some user icons have been updated.
For detailed information on Nintendo Switch 2, see the Nintendo website.
Note that the use of “Primary Console” has been deprecated with the transition to virtual game cards, and “Pass-enabled console” will be used instead. On a console set as the “Pass-enabled console” for a user, all users on the console can access certain subscriptions or passes for some software. For more information, see How to Set or Change the Pass-Enabled Console for a Nintendo Account.
