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Nintendo changed this process on April 30, 2025. Purchased games and add-on content now use Virtual Game Cards instead of the former Nintendo eShop redownload menu. Nintendo Switch Online-exclusive software and demos use their individual product pages instead.
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Redownload a purchased Switch game on the same console
Deleting software removes the installed game data from the console, but it does not erase the purchase record held by the Nintendo Account that bought it. Use that same account and the following procedure.
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- Connect the Switch to the internet and open the HOME Menu.
- Open Virtual Game Cards. On systems set to another region or language, the equivalent translated label may appear.
- Select the user profile linked to the Nintendo Account that purchased the game.
- Find the deleted game in the account’s virtual game-card list.
- Choose the game, then select the option to set the virtual game card.
- Leave the console online while the download starts and installation completes. The title appears on the HOME Menu when ready.
The exact wording can vary by region and system software version. Nintendo’s published support instructions use Japan-region pages, so an English-language console may show slightly different labels while following the same path.
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- Instantly add up to 256GB (1GB=1,000,000,000 bytes. Actual user storage less.)
- Store your downloaded games, screenshots and video captures in 1 place so you can travel light.
Redownload downloadable add-on content
Purchased expansion packs, downloadable chapters, costumes, and other add-ons are handled through the same Virtual Game Cards area. Select the purchasing user, choose the relevant add-on, and set its virtual game card. The base game may also need to be installed before the add-on can be used.
What changed on April 30, 2025
Before April 30, 2025, many players looked for a redownload list inside Nintendo eShop. Nintendo moved the normal redownload route to HOME Menu > Virtual Game Cards. That change applies to purchased software and purchased add-on content.
If you open eShop and cannot find the old redownload menu, the purchase has not necessarily disappeared. Return to the HOME Menu and use Virtual Game Cards. The eShop is still used to browse and buy software, but it is no longer the standard location for redownloading ordinary purchased titles.
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| What you are trying to download | Where to start | Important condition |
|---|---|---|
| Purchased digital game | HOME Menu > Virtual Game Cards | Select the Nintendo Account that made the purchase. |
| Purchased add-on content | HOME Menu > Virtual Game Cards | Use the purchasing account; the compatible base game may be required. |
| Nintendo Switch Online-exclusive software | The title’s individual product page | Use that page’s download control rather than the ordinary Virtual Game Cards list. |
| Demo | The demo’s individual product page | Open the product page and choose its download option. |
Nintendo separates Switch Online-exclusive software and demos from purchased software for redownload purposes. If one of those items is missing from Virtual Game Cards, search for its product page and use the download control there.
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If the deleted game does not appear in Virtual Game Cards
Work through these checks in order. Each one addresses a different reason a title can be absent.
1. Check every user profile on the console
A purchase belongs to the Nintendo Account that made it, not automatically to every profile on the Switch. In Virtual Game Cards, review each user profile and select the one linked to the purchasing account. A family member or another profile may have bought the game.
If the purchasing account is not linked to any user on this console, add or link that Nintendo Account before looking for the title again. Do not assume that the profile currently being used is the buyer.
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Nintendo manages purchase history by account. A game bought with one Nintendo Account will not appear in the purchase list of a different account, even if both accounts use the same console or share a family group. Purchases cannot be moved to another Nintendo Account, and Nintendo does not treat a different account as proof of ownership.
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- Nintendo Switch 2 uses a new standard of expandable memory card called microSD Express (sold separately). This kind of memory card is needed for faster access speeds and to ensure games will run smoothly.
- Please note: Nintendo Switch 2 is only compatible with microSD Express cards. If the microSD cards you have used for Nintendo Switch do not support microSD Express standards, you cannot use them with Nintendo Switch 2.
Sign in with the account that received the purchase confirmation or appears in the original transaction history. If you cannot identify that account, check the email addresses and account credentials used when the game was bought rather than repeatedly searching from another profile.
3. Check whether redownload distribution has ended
Nintendo can stop distributing a title or an add-on. When redownload distribution has ended, the software may no longer be available even to customers who previously obtained it. A missing entry is therefore not always a console problem.
If the title was delisted or Nintendo ended its distribution, Virtual Game Cards cannot restore it. Nintendo’s support guidance treats ended distribution as a specific limitation, so look for an official availability notice before troubleshooting storage or account settings further.
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4. Allow the console to finish account and card setup
After linking the correct account, open Virtual Game Cards again and select the title. Setting the virtual game card is an active step; merely seeing the account on the console does not start a download. Keep the Switch connected to the internet until the card is set and the download begins.
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- [Compatibility] Storage for Laptop, Tablet, PC, Smartphones, Camera, e-Reader. Files, Videos, Music [Notice] Compatible with Nintendo Switch 1; not compatible for gaming with Nintendo Switch 2
- [Environment] Waterproof, shockproof, temperature-proof and X-Ray proof
- [Support] Gigastone 5-year limited warranty
Redownloading after moving to another Switch
Moving a user or transferring data to another console does not automatically set every purchased virtual game card on the destination Switch. On the new console, link the same Nintendo Account, open Virtual Game Cards, select that user, choose each purchased title, and set its virtual game card.
- On the destination Switch, create or select the user profile associated with the original Nintendo Account.
- Link the original Nintendo Account to that profile if the transfer did not already do so.
- Open HOME Menu > Virtual Game Cards.
- Select the transferred user’s account.
- Choose the game or add-on and select set the virtual game card.
- Repeat for other purchased titles, then leave the console online for downloads to complete.
The transfer carries user and account information according to Nintendo’s transfer process, but the destination console still requires this virtual-game-card setup. If a game appears on the old console but not the new one, verify the account first and then set the card on the destination device.
Redownloading after initializing or resetting the console
A factory initialization removes software from the console. To recover purchased downloads afterward, connect the reset Switch to the internet, link the same Nintendo Account that originally bought the titles, and set the purchased virtual game cards again through the HOME Menu.
Nintendo’s initialization guidance also warns that software data stored on a microSD card becomes unusable after initialization. The card may still provide storage after being prepared for the console, but the old installed files should not be treated as a recoverable copy. Redownload the software instead.
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Storage requirements and microSD cards
The Switch needs enough free space to download and install a game. If the internal storage is full, delete or archive other software you can redownload later, or use an optional Nintendo Switch-compatible microSD card with sufficient capacity.
- Check available space in the console’s storage settings before starting a large download.
- Keep the console connected to a stable internet connection while installation runs.
- Do not power off the console or remove storage during installation.
- If internal space is insufficient, insert a compatible microSD card and follow the Switch’s on-screen formatting or setup instructions.
Extra storage changes where the software is installed; it does not change ownership, restore a purchase made by another account, or recover saved games.
What redownloading restores—and what it does not
Restored: the software license and installed game files
Setting the virtual game card verifies the purchase associated with the selected Nintendo Account and allows the Switch to download the title again, provided Nintendo still distributes it. After installation, launch the game from the HOME Menu as you did before deletion.
Not automatically restored: save data
Redownloading the game restores the application, not automatically the save data. Deleting software and initializing a console have different effects on saved data, and a fresh installation should not be assumed to contain previous progress. If your save data is not present on the console, use the Nintendo Switch save-data transfer or cloud-save features available to your account and game, following Nintendo’s separate requirements.
Not restored: a purchase made on another account
A microSD card, a console transfer, or a second user profile cannot turn another account’s transaction into your own purchase. The original Nintendo Account remains the authority for the purchase record.
Quick Recap
Common situations and the correct fix
| Situation | Likely explanation | Action |
|---|---|---|
| The game was deleted from the same Switch. | The installed files were removed, but the purchase should remain on the buying account. | Use Virtual Game Cards with the purchasing user. |
| The game is missing after a user transfer. | The destination console has not had its virtual game card set. | On the new Switch, select the account and set the card. |
| The game is missing after initialization. | The reset removed local software; microSD software data may also be unusable. | Link the original account and set the card again, then redownload. |
| The title is not in Virtual Game Cards. | You may be using the wrong user, or distribution may have ended. | Check every profile, verify the buyer account, and confirm the title is still distributed. |
| A demo or Switch Online title is absent. | These use a different redownload route. | Open the title’s product page and use its download control. |
| The game appears but will not download. | The console may be offline or short of storage. | Reconnect to the internet, free space or add compatible microSD storage, and set the virtual game card again. |
Account and ownership rules to remember
- The Nintendo Account that made the purchase is required for a normal redownload.
- Deleting a game does not delete the account’s purchase record.
- Purchases cannot be transferred to a different Nintendo Account.
- Moving to another console requires setting the virtual game card on that console.
- Distribution can end, making a title unavailable for redownload.
- Switch Online-exclusive software and demos are downloaded from their own product pages.
- Storage expansion helps hold the installation but does not affect ownership or save data.
Quick checklist
- Identify whether the item is a purchased game, add-on, Switch Online-exclusive title, or demo.
- For a purchase, open HOME Menu > Virtual Game Cards.
- Select the user linked to the Nintendo Account that paid for the item.
- Choose the title and set its virtual game card.
- Keep the console online and confirm it has enough storage.
- If the title is missing, check every user, verify the original account, and consider whether Nintendo ended distribution.
- If you changed consoles or initialized one, repeat the virtual-game-card setup on the current console.
- After installation, verify save data separately; the redownload itself restores only the software.
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