With this update from Nintendo, Switch fans will really be amused. All Nintendo Switch eShop purchases will be tied to the buyer's account and not the hardware. Unlike
Sony and Microsoft, Nintendo currently doesn't allow buyers to redownload digital purchases.
The company tied to the piece of hardware you buy to them. In simple words, its purchasing practice is not a unified account system. As of the existing system, all games are only linked to one's specific piece of the console. So if your Nintendo Wii U or 3DS is lost, broken, stolen or accidentally replaced, you'll have to actually call Nintendo and beg them to let you reclaim all the saved games on your library.
Nintendo Is Repeating The Wii U's Mistakes
After user "hiphoptherobot" of NeoGaf accidentally received his Nintendo Switch pre-order earlier than expected, he agreed to do a video wherein it will be about unboxing the console. As reported by Polygon, when Nintendo launched its Wii U back in 2012, there were a lot of said promises on what the platform meant. Now, with less than five years after the event, Nintendo Wii U is considered an unmitigated failure, both commercially and creatively. Now, Nintendo is going to take another break with the Nintendo Switch.
Just what they say, history repeats itself. There are just a few days before the official release of the Nintendo Switch. And before the event comes, Nintendo, together with DeNA, will jointly develop a new membership setting which incorporates the existing Nintendo 3DS and Wii U systems. This new hardware system, a brand-new concept for the Nintendo Switch and other news on new devices and PCs, Nintendo will become the primary party to operate this new membership service.
Nintendo Switch Will Tie Digital Purchases To User's Account
According to GameSpot, Nintendo Switch will tie all its digital purchases to the account of the user and not on a specific piece of hardware. For the Nintendo Wii U, games are linked to the user's console, so if he/she wants to re-download the games on a new system, it will be impossible. In a recently posted unboxing video of Nintendo Switch, a caption explains that the games can be re-downloaded using the same account.
"Your Nintendo Account contains your Nintendo eShop purchase history and current balance. By re-linking your Nintendo Account after initializing the console, it will be possible to redownload any software or DLC purchased using that account. (Software that has been discontinued may not be available to redownload in some cases.)"
This move of Nintendo gives all gamers an easier way to manage their games saved on the digital libraries. A reporter contacted Nintendo to confirm this rumored change by its online services and we'll update all of you if we hear back from them. As of now, we just need to wait for the Nintendo Switch which will launch on March 3. That is just a few weeks away, so it won't be very long before we finally know a lot more specifics about the newest console.
