How to Designate Your Nintendo Switch as Primary: A Comprehensive Guide
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Want to make a non-primary Nintendo Switch your new go-to console? The process is straightforward: use the Nintendo Account you want to be primary to access the Nintendo eShop on the console. The system will automatically be set as the primary console for your Nintendo Account. To verify, check the Primary Console setting in your Nintendo eShop Account Information. This designation allows any user on that console to access and play your digital games, even without an internet connection. But there’s more to it than just that!
Understanding Primary vs. Non-Primary Nintendo Switch Consoles
Before diving into the how-to, it’s crucial to grasp the difference between a primary and a non-primary Nintendo Switch console. Think of the primary console as your home base. It’s where your digital purchases shine, allowing anyone who uses the system to enjoy them. On the other hand, a non-primary console provides access to your games, but with a few caveats, mainly requiring an active internet connection and only being playable on the account that purchased them.
The Step-by-Step Guide to Changing Your Primary Console
Making a non-primary Switch your primary console is a simple process, but it requires you to have access to both the console you want to be primary and the Nintendo Account that currently owns the games. Here’s the breakdown:
- Access the Nintendo eShop: On the Nintendo Switch you wish to designate as primary, navigate to the Nintendo eShop icon on the HOME Menu and select it.
- Log In with Your Nintendo Account: If you’re not already logged in, enter the credentials (email address and password) associated with the Nintendo Account that owns the games. This is crucial!
- Automatic Primary Console Designation: Once you’ve logged in, the console will automatically be set as the primary console for your Nintendo Account. A confirmation message should appear.
- Verify the Setting: To confirm the change, click on your profile icon in the upper-right corner of the eShop. Scroll down and check the “Primary Console” setting. It should indicate that this Switch is now the primary console for your Nintendo Account.
What if You Don’t Have Access to the Old Primary Console?
Life happens! Maybe your old Switch was lost, stolen, or simply stopped working. In such cases, Nintendo provides a workaround, but it comes with a limitation.
Deregistering Remotely: The Once-a-Year Option
You can deactivate a console from your Nintendo Account remotely. However, this can only be done once per year. Here’s how:
- Access the Nintendo Account Website: Log in to your Nintendo Account through a web browser on a computer or mobile device.
- Navigate to Shop Menu: Select “Shop Menu”
- Deregister Primary Console: Scroll down and select “Deregister Primary Console”.
- Confirm Deregistration: Follow the on-screen instructions to confirm the deactivation of your current primary console. After completing this process, you can log in to the eShop on your desired console to make it primary.
Important Note: Be absolutely sure you want to do this, as you’ll have to wait a full year before you can use this method again.
Setting Up a Secondary Account Switch
If you have multiple Nintendo Switch consoles, you might want to use one as a secondary console to access your digital games.
- Create a New User: On the secondary console, create a new user.
- Link to Nintendo Account: Link the new user account to your Nintendo Account by using your login and password.
- Access the eShop: Use your Nintendo Account to access the Nintendo eShop on the secondary console.
- Download Games: Redownload the games you want to play.
- Play with Restrictions: Remember, you need an internet connection to play these games, and only the account that owns the games can play them on the secondary console.
FAQs: Diving Deeper into Nintendo Switch Primary Console Management
1. Can you have 2 primary consoles on Switch?
No. You can only register one primary console per Nintendo Account. This limitation ensures that Nintendo maintains control over digital game distribution and prevents widespread sharing beyond a single household.
2. Why can’t other accounts on my Switch play my games?
This happens because you’ve likely changed the primary console for your Nintendo Account. If a console isn’t set as the primary console, your games will not be playable by others on the system. Make the console primary again for your Nintendo Account to enable game sharing.
3. How many times can you change the primary Switch?
You can change which Switch is your primary console as many times as you want, as long as you have access to both consoles. If you don’t have access to the old console, you can only deregister remotely once per year.
4. How do I know which Switch is primary?
To verify whether a console is the primary console for your Nintendo Account, check the “primary console” section in your Nintendo eShop Account Information. You can find this information by accessing your profile in the eShop.
5. Can you have multiple Switch profiles on one account?
You can create up to 8 user accounts on the Nintendo Switch. Each user account can be linked to a separate Nintendo Account, allowing multiple users to access online features and purchase their own games.
6. Can I play the same game on two Switches simultaneously?
No. You cannot use the same Nintendo Account to access games on multiple consoles simultaneously. When you try to play the same game on a non-primary console, it will check for an active session on the primary console, preventing simultaneous play.
7. Can you unlink a Switch account?
Yes. To unlink a single Nintendo Account from a Nintendo Switch console, delete the associated user account. To unlink all Nintendo Accounts from a Nintendo Switch console, initialize the Nintendo Switch console.
8. Are Switch games locked to console or account?
Digital games are tied to the Nintendo Account that purchased them. All users on a primary console can play games purchased by any Nintendo Account registered on the console.
9. Are games tied to Switch or account?
Digital games are tied to the account. All users on a system will be able to play games purchased by any Nintendo Account that has registered the system as their primary console.
10. Do I need to buy two of every game if I buy two Switch consoles?
Yes, for simultaneous play. You need to purchase one copy of the game for each switch device. Unlike some other gaming platforms, Nintendo requires separate purchases for each console to enable simultaneous gameplay.
11. How many consoles can Gameshare on Nintendo Switch?
You can technically share games with one other console (the non-primary console). However, only one player can access the game at any given time. The primary console has access to all games online and offline, while the secondary console can only access games when connected to the internet.
12. Can 2 Switches share the same account?
You can link your Nintendo Account to multiple consoles. However, you can only activate one primary console per Nintendo Account.
13. Can two Switches share a game card?
Yes. Save data for games on the Switch is saved to the console itself, not the game Cartridge. So you can swap the same physical game between any number of consoles, and each console will have different save data.
14. Can I play games on my secondary Switch offline?
The Switch secondary account game sharing offline grace period is 3 hours. When starting a shared game from a secondary account, it does an online check to see if that account is being played online by any other device.
15. How do I deregister a switch as primary console?
Select “shop menu”, scroll down and select “Deregister Primary Console”.
Embrace the Flexibility of Nintendo Switch
Understanding how primary and non-primary consoles function unlocks the full potential of the Nintendo Switch ecosystem. Whether you’re sharing games with family, traveling with multiple devices, or simply upgrading to a new console, mastering these settings ensures a seamless and enjoyable gaming experience. Remember that the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org is a good place to start learning more about games.