Games that you purchase on your Nintendo Account are tied to your account and can be accessed on any active Nintendo Switch console that is linked to that account. This means that even if you deactivate a Switch or switch to a new one, your games will still be available for you to download and play on the new console.
It’s important to note that while the games are tied to your account, they are not stored directly on your account. Instead, they are stored on the console’s internal memory or on a microSD card if you have one inserted. This means that if you want to play your games on a different Switch, you will need to redownload them onto that console.
To ensure that your games are accessible on a particular Switch, you need to set that Switch as your “active” console. You can do this by going to the Nintendo eShop on the console and selecting the option to “Deactivate” the console. Once you have done this, you can then set a different Switch as your active console by going to the Nintendo eShop on that console and selecting the option to “Set as Active Console.”
It’s worth noting that you can only have one active Switch console linked to your Nintendo Account at a time. This means that if you have multiple Switch consoles, only one of them will be able to access your digital purchases. If you want to switch the active console to a different one, you will need to deactivate the current one first.
Additionally, it’s important to keep in mind that deactivating a Switch console does not delete your games or save data. They will still be tied to your Nintendo Account and can be re-downloaded onto the same or a different console at any time. However, it’s always a good idea to back up your save data to the cloud or transfer it to another console if you want to ensure that your progress is not lost.
In my personal experience, I have encountered situations where I have had to switch my active console due to upgrading to a newer model or needing to send my console for repairs. It was a straightforward process to deactivate the old console and set up the new one as my active console. I was then able to easily re-download all of my purchased games without any issues. It’s comforting to know that even if something happens to my console, my games are still tied to my account and can be accessed on another console.
Games purchased on your Nintendo Account are tied to that account and can be accessed on any active Switch console linked to the account. You can only have one active console at a time, but you can easily switch the active console if needed. It’s important to remember to back up your save data and keep track of which console is set as your active one to ensure a smooth gaming experience.