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'Can you gameshare on a Nintendo Switch?': Yes, you can — here's how to share a downloaded game with a friend

Written by Steven John
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You can gameshare on your Nintendo Switch by logging someone into your Nintendo account. Nintendo
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So you've downloaded a Nintendo Switch game that your friend wants to play? No problem — you can share the game with them easily. 

Just note that if you start playing the game on your system, it will pause their game right in the middle of the action. They'll also need an internet connection to play any game you're sharing.

Here's how to take advantage of a quirk in how Nintendo manages accounts, and share any game you've downloaded with a friend.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

Nintendo Switch (From $299.99 at Best Buy)

How to share a game on your Nintendo Switch

Through this method, you can share any game that you have downloaded. This means you can't share games you only have the physical version of.

To share a downloaded game, you'll have to temporarily deregister your Switch as your primary console (don't worry, you can always undo that change) and give your login information to the other player, so trust is key here.

1. From your Switch homepage, go to the Nintendo eShop using the orange shopping bag icon near the bottom of the screen.

2. Once you're in the eShop, scroll to your user icon in the top-right corner of the screen, above the game titles.

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Make sure you are using the primary account associated with the Switch as you go through these steps.  Steven John/Business Insider

3. On the next screen, go to the bottom of the menu on the right, and then select the button that says "Deregister."

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You'll find the "Deregister" button at the very bottom of your account menu.  Steven John/Business Insider

4. Give the owner of the second console your login information, meaning the email and password associated with your Nintendo account.

5. Now have the user of the other Switch log into your Nintendo account. They'll now be able to download any game you've purchased without having to pay.

While both consoles will have that game downloaded, only one account can play the game at a time. If a second account attempts to log onto a game simultaneously, the primary console will get kicked off. 

 

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Steven John
Steven John has been a freelance writer for more than a dozen years and has been a regular contributor to Business Insider since 2017. His work includes a focus on the tech world, covering companies including Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Google, and others. He also reviews restaurants, shares how-to cooking articles, and writes general interest pieces.Steven also writes for publications including Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, Forbes, and more. In the past, he also wrote for New York Magazine, Mashed, U.S. News & World Report and other outlets. He runs his own outdoor lifestyle site, Dad Gear Review, and co-hosts the Fact Trekkers podcast with his son. He has had two novels published, Three A.M. and Outrider. He graduated from Emerson College with a degree in communications focused on filmmaking.He is an avid outdoorsman and can be frequently found in a kayak or on a mountain trail, often with his family along for the adventure.Expertise:Tech industryTech hardwareOutdoorsCookingRestaurantsDIYPopular articles:Microsoft: A history of the software giant co-founded by Bill Gates, its products and services, jobs, layoffs, and moreYouTube is a major entertainment force. Here's the platform's history, plus how to create a channel and upload videos.Inside the life and career of Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, billionaire, and philanthropistTim Cook net worth: How the Apple leader earns and spends his moneyBecoming an Amazon seller is a simple process. Here's what's involved, plus how you make money and get paid.