GameShare

GameShare is a Nintendo Switch 2 feature that lets the owner of a supported game share it with friends and family who do not own it, so they can play together.

With GameShare, a supported game on a Switch 2 can be shared with other players so they can join in, even if they have not bought it.

Nintendo sets out who can receive a shared game. A Switch 2 can share compatible games with anyone who has a Switch 2 or an original Switch. An original Switch, however, can only receive games shared locally by a Switch 2, from a console nearby.

Not every game supports it. Nintendo says some Switch games gain GameShare support through free updates when played on Switch 2, and the details differ from game to game.

GameShare is separate from lending a game through virtual game cards, which hands a copy to one family member for 14 days; our explainer on Nintendo virtual game cards covers lending, and our guide to Switch 2 backward compatibility covers what carries over from Switch.

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