Our family group has 3 Nintendo Switch Consoles and many digitally purchased games. We all enjoy playing games on the Switch but really do not understand why different group members cannot play a game if the primary console, which is the Switch Lite, is playing a digital game. Each member wants to play a different game all purchased in one family account, but 2 consoles are paused and blocked while the primary game console is in use. I understand blocking multiple simultaneous uses of the same digital game but why block separate content. This system discourages groups from buying additional consoles. Other streaming media services like Spotify, Netflex etc.. limit the number of group users and number of devices in use simultaneously but not the streaming of media content to those devices. Nintendo limits the number of users in family groups which is fine but why block different family members from playing on separate consoles separate and different games?
@RupeeClock As I stated above each user in the group is playing one copy of a digital game purchased by the group manager for the family. One person wants to play Animal Crossing, another Zelda and the third person Farm Together. Each game on a separate console all with full internet access.
@redsea
An excerpt from the support article that I linked:
When using downloadable software on a non-primary console, your game will pause if your Nintendo Account is used to access downloadable software on any other Nintendo Switch console.
Unfortunately, this means it's checking with an active internet connection if you're using downloadable software on any other system, and regardless of what that software is, that account is only allowed to be playing one downloadable software at a time across any system.
This restriction doesn't apply to physical game card software, as it's not possible to insert a game card into two separate systems at once.
@redsea it seems you expected it to work like Google or Apple family groups, where software can be shared.
Nintendo Family groups are different, family groups get to share the nintendo online family subscription, but software is still limited to being used by the person who purchased it, in one console at a time.
So, there’s no “the manager bought it for the group”, there’s just “the manager bought it for themselves”, and as far as Nintendo is concerned, the manager is only one person with one set of hands.
If you want everyone to be able to play at the same time or without restrictions, everyone needs to have their own account, with their own copy/licenses of the games.
I recently encountered this same issue after adding a third console to our household. Unfortunately is even worse than described. If you own a digital copy of the game, it will override a physical card. I have a digital copy and a physical copy of Mario Kart 8. My daughter was playing a different downloaded game on her console under my profile, as it's the only way she can play any downloaded games and some of her games are not available on a card. I was trying to play Mario kart on my console. Neither of these consoles is primary, my son's is as he plays most in our family. When I tried to use the Mario kart card to solve the problem, it had no effect. Apparently the downloaded version takes priority over the card. My only solution is to only buy games on cards. I find this completely unacceptable DRM policy.
This also affects DLC for games. I have two different games both cards, one of the games has newly got DLC. Now I can't play on my second switch on my account because of the DLC.
@pokemonfan4312 I think this has more to do with the DLC needing for that console to match the account of the other that has the DLC to give you access. I've had this similar experience when using the same gave on different console it requires that also update to be able to start the game.
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Topic: Play will be Suspended error code 2819-0003
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