In response to Paul from the Friday Inbox, and updating from my previous Reader’s Feature on the Nintendo Switch Online service with multiple Switches.
You can use the same account on multiple switches and download the same games to play on every Switch on which your account is added.
I would suggest that you make your Switch Lite your primary console. You should do this because all non-primary consoles must have a continuous Internet connection to be used, which isn’t a problem at home, but on the move makes playing anything impossible as your phone or whatever hotspot you use disconnects and reconnects repeatedly as you move in and out of range on different mobile masts. Your primary console works all the time.
You do this by entering the eShop on your current primary Switch, open your account settings within the eShop by selecting your avatar in the top right corner, then scrolling down to the bottom and selecting deregister as primary console. Then quit out of the eShop. Whichever Switch you open the eShop on next becomes your primary console, so open the eShop and close it again on your Switch Lite. You can swap this back and forth as often as you like.
Since my Reader’s Feature, Nintendo has clearly updated the game share settings, such that each developer can choose to restrict each game to one user at a time or allow anyone in you Nintendo Switch Online family to play simultaneously on different Switches. Nintendo games generally allow you and others in your registered family to play the same game on multiple switches at the same time, but not everyone’s games do.
For example, I can race my daughter on Mario Kart 8 or shoot her on Splatoon 2 on different Switches (she has to be on the primary as only the game owner can play it on other Switches) however, you have to ‘buy’ Fortnite for each user even if in that instance the game is free.
Either way, you cannot use your account on two Switches at the same time. It has to be a second account from you Nintendo online family.
Everything else remains as per my previous feature/rant.
Antony White
