Topic: New Switch User question: Purchasing digital on one device

Hi guys, if there is already an answer to this question please please please relink it to me, If not can anyone answer my scenario

Our office purchased a Nintendo Switch for gameroom usage and I attached my Nintendo Id on that switch. Thing is I stilll dont have a Switch and would probable able to purchase one by next year if budget allows. If i purchased digital games on the office switch, will i be able to transfer the purchase on my own switch when i finally get to buy it? or will the purchase be registered on the office switch forever and I would have to repurchase the game on my own switch?

the last major firmware update allowed for system to system full account (plus games) transfer. You will be able to take everything to your new switch but it will delete all that is you on the old switch aka games, saves, profile, etc.

edit: it won't transfer the games but those games will become unplayable on the old system. will have to be redownloaded on the new system.

In order to move purchases from the office Switch to your own Switch, you will need to unlink your NNID from your user profile (I would suggest doing this before moving your user profile to another device), which should render any games purchased via your NNID to be unusable. After doing this, you can then transfer your user device to your own Switch, which will transfer your save data to the new system. At this point, linking your NNID to your user profile on the new Switch system should restore any purchases made on the previous system.

But my suggestion is that you refrain from making any eShop purchases on a Switch that isn't yours. If people in your office (yourself included) wish to chip in to the office Switch, then that is your prerogative, but making purchases on a device that isn't yours with the intent of transferring them to another device later sounds like something that won't end well. Colleagues may also be annoyed that the office Switch's game library has suddenly disappeared in one fell swoop. Do consider these eventualities should you decide to purchase any digital games. I personally think that it is unwise unless you intend for the games to stay on the office Switch.

On a similar note, I have repeatedly advised my younger brother not to make digital purchases on my Wii U as the games are effectively mine. He doesn't seem to care, but I thought that it was a stupid move on his part. He doesn't have a Wii U of his own even if he wished to transfer his purchases to a new system. He even purchased Smash DLC while I was overseas despite not owning a copy of his own. =/

I'd stick to buying physical games for the time being. At least in due time, you will have accrued a tangible library by the time you do end up buying a Switch of your own.

Duely noted~ well im also a physical type of gamer but we cant escape that some games can only be bought digitally like the indie games in the nintendo store

Thank you for the insight. Will advise my colleagues to do the same. Go physical unless you want the games to stay there forever