Nintendo Switch game downloads can’t be shared across multiple systems

Purchases can apparently only be on one system at a time.

[jholden3249]

Can sign into any system and download your games, but only one at a time.

Same as every other system afaIk.

Wasn't MS trying to do "digital game sharing" and got shut down for it during the X1 launch?

[Goldby]

isn't the case with PS4, not sure about Xbox One.

i have one copy of Ark and installed and played on both ps4 and pro at the same time, ps4 is the server, pro i used to actually play the game

[porkChop]

How is that possible? The digital games are only playable on the owner account, and accounts can only sign in on one PS4 at a time. I've tried this with my brother's PS4 and my own, he's get signed out every time I tried to sign in to play a game.

[OtakuDJK1NG-Rory]

It going to work on your account not other

[Liqu1d]

@porkChop If one console is set as the primary device then it it doesn't need to be logged in to verify licenses.

[SegaGamer]

@porkchop
Your account has a primary console attached to it. That means that any other person with an account on that console can play the games downloaded from your account without the need to be signed into your account at the same time.

It's a bit different with consoles that aren't set as your primary console though. You would need to be signed into your account and be connected to the playstation servers to gain access to those games. Any other account on that console wouldn't be able to play those games because the account that owns those games doesn't have that console set as it's primary console.

This is where you are struggling. What you need to do is to set your brothers PS4 as your primary console for your account. When that is done, your brother can play your games on his account. Then on your console you would need to sign into your account to play your games. As long as you can stay connected to the Playstation servers then there is no problem.

[Monster_Tard]

It can be done on the Xbox One also.

[davand114]

I think M$ was trying to do like a family thing where you can download a purchased game up to four times or something like that but it was shutdown.

[conanlifts]

You have family sharing on xbox. I have 2 consoles, same games on both. You can't sign in on 2 consoles at once but you can add other users and both play the same games at the same time with your own ids.

[BLKxSEPTEMBER]

That is incorrect. I have all of my 200 plus digital Xbox games on BOTH of my Xbox systems. I can play them all on both systems with one purchase.

[Quicksand]

Isn't this exactly what nintendo is doing? You can have your acct on multiple consoles but only one at a time can access the game?

[Paytaa]

Yeah I gave my fat Xbox One to a friend in turn for his old graphics card since I bought the S and he is able to play all of the digital games in my collection.

Worked out for the both of us since he mostly plays on PC so he wouldn't have to shell out a bunch of money on a console he plays only some of the time and being a broke college student.

[Monster_Tard]

@Quicksand
Nope, on the PS4 and Xbox One the digital license are linked to both the console you have set up as your Home/Primary console and the account you bought the digital game on, so you can access and share a digital game with two different consoles at the same time.

[Perjoss]

"Wasn't MS trying to do "digital game sharing" and got shut down for it during the X1 launch?"

No, during XB1 launch they were trying to stop people from even lending a physical copy of your game to a friend. Sony even made a little gag about it.

[rjason12]

I thought that would've been obvious, as they obviously don't want multiple people leaching off of one copy of the game.

[SamPao]

Its too bad. If I have a Console with multiple users in the same houshold. For example my kids. They have to buy the game too or play on my account. On ps4 and xbox you can play with a different account if the main user bought the content

[Quetzll]

I read the article (crazy, i know).

Question: can downloads be shared through multiple consoles?

From Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development General Manager Shinya Takahashi:

"Currently we don't have a system like that in place for Nintendo Switch, but we haven't made any final decisions about how we would approach that going forward in the future, so unfortunately I can't provide any concrete answer for you right now."

It says nothing about multiple users on a single console. But even the WiiU allows downloads to be shared across the accounts of a SINGLE console.

[deafdani]

I think you're confused here.

Switch will most likely allow all accounts to play the same games if they're on the same system, no matter who's the owner. It works like that on the Wii U.

What you won't be able to do, is to share the game across 2 Switch consoles. Only one.

[davand114]

No if it's on the same console you can just change the user and they get their own save file. You only have to buy the game again if the profiles are on two separate consoles.

[badz149]

What you guys are explaining here "like the Wii U"...but wasn't games tied to the console back then and they are going to be tied to the purchasing account this time around? So what's the point of account-tied purchases if you can't download it to multiple devices? At least sony allows 2 devices (used to be 5 but people abused the hell of it for game sharing)

[Darkfist_Flames]

but will the game work on other tablet like the ones on psn?, if not booo

[OtakuDJK1NG-Rory]

But let's be honest. Majority if not everyone who getting Switch isn't gonna share it.

It's a personal home console. Why would leave you account on another Switch?

[EddieNX]

Its also a handheld console so it makes sense really.

[NicSage]

Fail.

[blawren4]

I wouldn't expect anything different. Not sure why anyone else would either. You buy a single copy of the game and you can use it on one system at a time. Seems reasonable to me. However, I wish there was a way for families with more than one Switch to not have to purchase multiple copies to play together. Perhaps they will expand on the download play aspect and make it more viable and widespread

[xtheblackparade]

I think as long as digital games don't share the benefits of physical games it won't fully convert the market. There will always be people who want to exchange games with friends or being able to sell them when they're done playing it. Or both. sell your friends game Kappa.

[MillyMike]

Unless the title is being played at that moment, family members with their own account and with their own console should be able to have access to that game. Just like a physical disc.

Anything less than that is BS DRM and should be fought against.

[captainexplosion]

I would really appreciate some help if someone can answer this. I have three PS4s. Two at my house and one at my ofc. All three PS4s have my account and my son's account on them. PS Now is under my account. I thought there was no way for me to play a game, or even watch a movie for that matter, if my son is using my Now subscription on another PS4. Is there really way for us both to be on my account at the same time? Every time he tries it logs me out. And there's really a way for me to play one of his digital games while he is logged into his account?