Nintendo Switch 20.0.0 Update Released
Nintendo has released the first Switch system update of 2025. The 20.0.0 version, which comes just weeks before the Switch 2’s release, draws attention especially with the new functions added to the main menu. In addition to features such as Virtual Game Card and GameShare, options that facilitate data transfer to the Nintendo Switch 2 have also been added to the system.
Nintendo Switch 20.0.0 Update Details
Two new icons have been added to the main menu with the 20.0.0 update: Virtual Game Card and GameShare. Thanks to the Virtual Game Card feature, purchased digital software, DLCs and some free content can now be listed as virtual cards. These cards can be virtually swapped between two different Switch systems. In addition, users in the same Nintendo Account family group can lend these virtual cards to each other.
GameShare can only be launched from Nintendo Switch 2 systems and allows game sharing with nearby systems over a local wireless connection. This feature can only be used between Switch 2 and other devices; it is not available between current Switch models.
User Authentication Settings have also been added with the update. Access to the Virtual Game Card menu can now be restricted by a PIN code or Nintendo account login. In addition, with the newly added Online License Settings, downloaded software can be run as long as an internet connection is maintained even if a virtual game card is not loaded.
The colors of the Nintendo eShop and Nintendo Switch News icons have been updated, and support for transferring multiple save files at once has been added. In addition, a new option has been added under the “System Transfer” menu for transferring from Nintendo Switch to Switch 2. This allows users to perform system transfers either over a local connection or by uploading their data to the server.
Finally, some user icons have been visually updated, and the term “Pass-enabled console” will now be used instead of the term “Primary Console”. In this system, access to certain software will be available to all users.
