Here it is, a significant update for the Nintendo Switch. System software update v20.0.0 has released as of today. This firmware version adds some of the newer features originally teased in the last Nintendo Direct. Virtual Game Cards are now available, allowing players to lend digitally-owned copies of games to those within their Nintendo Account family group. Similarly, Gameshare adds the ability to share their games to nearby other Switch systems. The full list of features are noted on the patch notes from Nintendo.

Ver. 20.0.0 (Released April 29, 2025)​

• The following icons for new features have been added to the HOME Menu:
  • Virtual Game Card
    • Purchased Nintendo Switch digital software, DLC, and some free software, are now virtual game cards and displayed in a list in this menu.
    • You can virtually load and eject virtual game cards between up to two Nintendo Switch systems.
    • Virtual game cards can be lent to others in the same Nintendo Account family group. For more information, see Virtual Game Card Guide.
  • GameShare
    • Compatible software can be shared from a Nintendo Switch 2 system to other nearby system(s) to play together.
      • You can only play together via local wireless, and the Nintendo Switch 2 system must initiate GameShare.
      • This feature cannot be used between two Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch – OLED Model and/or Nintendo Switch Lite systems.
• User-Verification Settings has been added under User > User Settings.
  • You can restrict access to the Virtual Game Card menu by requiring entry of a PIN or signing in to your Nintendo Account.
• Online License Settingshas been added.
  • When turned on, you can play downloaded software or DLC you've purchased while the system is connected to the internet, even if you don't have the virtual game card loaded.
  • For more information, please refer to the details about the option on the System Settings screen.
• The Nintendo eShop and Nintendo Switch News icon colors on the HOME Menu have been changed.
• Multiple save data can be selected and transferred at once in “Transfer Your Save Data” menu.
• System Transfer to Nintendo Switch 2 has been added under System Settings > System.
  • You can perform a system transfer from your Nintendo Switch to Nintendo Switch 2 using local communication.
    • For users that will lose access to their Nintendo Switch before receiving their Nintendo Switch 2, there is an option to upload system transfer data to a dedicated server which can then be retrieved on their Nintendo Switch 2. After you upload your system transfer data to the dedicated server, the Nintendo Switch system will be initialized to factory settings, so only perform this transfer if you’ll be able to complete the transfer on Nintendo Switch 2.
    • If you want to continue using your Nintendo Switch until you have a Nintendo Switch 2, we recommend completing the system transfer using local communication after you have acquired a Nintendo Switch 2 system.
  • An internet connection and Nintendo Account is required to complete both local and the server-based system transfer service.
  • For more information, see System Transfer from Nintendo Switch to Nintendo Switch 2.
• The appearance of some user icons have been updated.

For detailed information on Nintendo Switch 2, see the Nintendo website.
Note that the use of “Primary Console” has been deprecated with the transition to virtual game cards, and “Pass-enabled console” will be used instead. On a console set as the “Pass-enabled console” for a user, all users on the console can access certain subscriptions or passes for some software. For more information, see How to Set or Change the Pass-Enabled Console for a Nintendo Account.

For those wondering, yes, this new firmware does break support with Atmosphere, as confirmed by SciresM. For now, you'll have to wait for a new version that supports v20.0.0.

Source

 

[DiscostewSM]

Before virtual game cards I could play animal crossing online with my sister using only one copy of the game. They removed this possibility now. Nintendo giveth and Nintendo taketh away

Truth be told, this was never meant to be an option in the first place. What they did was fixed an exploit that was being abused, plain and simple. People can't really be disappointed that Nintendo patched an exploit when they never purposefully granted that like it was a advertised feature.

 

[IceBlazeWinters]

people are working on that IN THEIR OWN TIME, without reward nor appreciation, please do not ask for a quick development.

you can monitor the advance on the official repository

https://github.com/Atmosphere-NX/Atmosphere/issues/2502

https://github.com/CTCaer/hekate/issues/1086

i wasn't asking for a quick development. i was asking if anyone had heard anything about it yet or knew how far along it was.

it's not a crime to ask for the status of something.

 

[Moe87]

Update the Atmosphere take 1-2 weeks, so rarely, less than one week.

 

[Lavaimp]

damn, accidentally updated my fuckign console bc of a misclick when i was tired. guess i'm screwed until atmosphere's out.
by chance does anyone know how I can downgrade it?

 

[impeeza]

damn, accidentally updated my fuckign console bc of a misclick when i was tired. guess i'm screwed until atmosphere's out.
by chance does anyone know how I can downgrade it?

you can read the previous page, there are some links for official test atmosphère and Hekate, once you can gain access to new firmware you can use daybreak to downgrade also remember to install latest sys-patch sysmodule to avoid the bluescreen for nfim.

 

[Lavaimp]

you can read the previous page, there are some links for official test atmosphère and Hekate, once you can gain access to new firmware you can use daybreak to downgrade also remember to install latest sys-patch sysmodule to avoid the bluescreen for nfim.

okay, cool. I was kinda wondering about that. I saw something that was in russian that looks like it'd boot the console but people were saying to be careful with it. I'll read a bit more, but otherwise i'll be a bit careful. Thanks.

Edit:
hekate's early release works fine for me, but I can't figure out how to install the pre-prerelease of Amosphere so i think i'll just be patient.

I can't really figure out if the fusee.bin file i downloaded goes but trying to load with it got me a black screen

 

[Moe87]

Facepalm at people saying about updated to 20.0.1 by accident and moaned about when Atmosphere will be updated.

Sorry, I'm not forgiving to people who update the firmware accidentally or let their family member use it, so they should know better at first place.

There is no need to annoy SciresM with useless comments since 20.0.0 Support thread in Github is intended for tracking the work with future support for 20.0.0/20.0.1.

 

[rsx]

Reminds me of netflix and how they used to be open about password sharing. That didn't work out too well for them, people abandoned and went back to the high seas. But then again, Nintendo is not the type of company who learns from others' mistakes. Or their own.

 

[poisoned_soap]

Reminds me of netflix and how they used to be open about password sharing. That didn't work out too well for them, people abandoned and went back to the high seas. But then again, Nintendo is not the type of company who learns from others' mistakes. Or their own.

Except it did work for Netflix...
When the change was implemented, their subscriber *count* skyrocketed. And even now, they are still up.

Despite their games leaking early, even Nintendo is up.

You are objectively wrong, what are you even talking about?

 

[phalk]

Except it did work for Netflix...
When the change was implemented, the subscribers skyrocketed. And even now, they are still up.

Despite their games leaking early, even Nintendo is up.

You are objectively wrong, what are you even talking about?

Skyrocketed?

 

[retrofan_k]

Facepalm at people saying about updated to 20.0.1 by accident and moaned about when Atmosphere will be updated.

Sorry, I'm not forgiving to people who update the firmware accidentally or let their family member use it, so they should know better at first place.

There is no need to annoy SciresM with useless comments since 20.0.0 Support thread in Github is intended for tracking the work with future support for 20.0.0/20.0.1.

That old record never stops playing and has been an ongoing thing, since firmware updates were implemented into consoles.

Always some fool that doesn’t listen or that their brother/sister, pet dog updated their console and then expects a fix right there and then, like a drop of a hat.

 

[poisoned_soap]

Skyrocketed?

View attachment 503457

The number of subscribers?

(They cracked down on password sharing in 2023)

https://www.statista.com/chart/21465/global-paid-net-subscriber-additions-by-netflix/

------

Even then, it still "skyrocketed" from the valley in 2022, so my point still stands.

 

[PKM190]

Update the Atmosphere take 1-2 weeks, so rarely, less than one week.

Usually not that long but this is a big update. Do they ever do a beta branch of just a stable release branch?

 

[Marc_LFD]

It does not. For one system to access a virtual game card, another system must first relinquish access to it. You can do this manually on the second system, or if the second system is online at the time it'll do it automatically. If it isn't online you get the below message:

View attachment 501595

I would imagine there is (or will be shortly) a way to go nuclear with relinquishing access like how you could deactivate your primary Switch via the MyNintendo account page once a year. But I would also imagine it'll be similarly restrictive to avoid abuse.

Edit:
I will add that the Virtual Game Card system is actually pretty good in a lot of ways though. Having done a bit of reading on the official page, you basically just have two primary consoles now (with a contingency to avoid you being able to play the same game on two systems when you've only bought it once). Any systems beyond the two you specify just act like secondary accounts with the previous setup, so really it does just seem like a net win,

Edit2:
It's probably worth a secondary addendum to mention that you could probably emulate the game sharing setup you had before by just making your friend's Switch one of the two "primary" systems with game cards. I think I'll do some reading up tonight and write up a post about the ins and outs of the new system tomorrow since it does seem a little obtuse on the surface.

Yep, heard it on YouTube a few days ago.

Folks want to play at the same time? Go buy another copy. - Nintendo.. probably.

 

[Moe87]

Usually not that long but this is a big update. Do they ever do a beta branch of just a stable release branch?

There is other factor - SciresM has hectic schedule.

No idea but they released one if anyone don't mind the bugs or issues, but I will not mess because it could affect the ban protection for Switch run on CFW.

 

[Lavaimp]

Facepalm at people saying about updated to 20.0.1 by accident and moaned about when Atmosphere will be updated.

Sorry, I'm not forgiving to people who update the firmware accidentally or let their family member use it, so they should know better at first place.

There is no need to annoy SciresM with useless comments since 20.0.0 Support thread in Github is intended for tracking the work with future support for 20.0.0/20.0.1.

I'm not harassing him over it because i have a second modded switch. The mistake was a tired misclick. I hope you're not bundling me in with people begging because i'm being patient (and i did attempt to f igure out the fusee thing but i gave up so i don't fuck up everything.)

not everyone that made the mistake is going to bitch and moan and i'm certainly not. :\

 

[Moe87]

I'm not harassing him over it because i have a second modded switch. The mistake was a tired misclick. I hope you're not bundling me in with people begging because i'm being patient (and i did attempt to f igure out the fusee thing but i gave up so i don't fuck up everything.)

not everyone that made the mistake is going to bitch and moan and i'm certainly not. :\

That is for people who comment under 20.0.0 post in GitHub and won't accept the responsibility for user error, including accidental update.

There is no point to ask SciresM directly for status and atmosphere update is currently work on, so he will release when it is ready, especially issues would have to be resolved first. It is hard for someone who is very busy with other tasks. He pointed that 20.0.0 support post is intended for tracking his work and if someone have issue with atmosphere that is not related to 20.0.0/20.0.1 is asked to create a separate issue or post in here for assistance.

Feel free to ask about status or update in here - members will answer if they know or able to get an information. It take 1-2 weeks for Atmosphere to be updated, sometime under week if it wasn't for complicated issue that come with firmware update nor have busy tasks.

 

[Afeohtan]

"User-Verification Settings has been added under User > User Settings.

• You can restrict access to the Virtual Game Card menu by requiring entry of a PIN or signing in to your Nintendo Account."

So more things that require the internet? Or am I reading this wrong?

 

[ut2k4master]

"User-Verification Settings has been added under User > User Settings.

• You can restrict access to the Virtual Game Card menu by requiring entry of a PIN or signing in to your Nintendo Account."

So more things that require the internet? Or am I reading this wrong?

youre reading it wrong

 

[ChronosNotashi]

"User-Verification Settings has been added under User > User Settings.

• You can restrict access to the Virtual Game Card menu by requiring entry of a PIN or signing in to your Nintendo Account."

So more things that require the internet? Or am I reading this wrong?

As noted, reading it wrong.

This is more of a toggleable extra layer of security for your library, in case you don't want anyone moving your games around without permission (ex: keep a family member from "borrowing" one of your games for use on their own system without asking). If turned on, anyone trying to access your Virtual Game Card list would need to know your PIN or login information before they can proceed.

Outside of that, games can still be played as normal by any profile that isn't linked to your account, as long as the Virtual Game Cards for those games are loaded onto the system.