Topic: Will the same Physical Switch game but from different regions be recognised as different games?

Hi all,

Just a query I have, back in the day of handhelds the save files were tied to carts and so over the years people would end up buying multiple copies of say Pokemon games but obviously with the Switch that all changed with saves tied to accounts so that got me thinking instead of making a new account everytime I want to start a new save what if I buy a copy from a different region? For example if I buy Pokemon Sword from Japan and load it in will the system recognise it has a "different" game to my UK copy so I can start a new save etc or will it just load it as the UK copy and has my normal save?

Cuz I noticed with Digital games the games are treated differently to Physical so I recently got physical versions of some digital games that I got on sales years ago (Okami, Witcher, Kakarot) and none of them would carry the save and made me start new ones.

@Bats1234
I just only know games like ACNH and Pokemon games on Switch are universally same no matter what region you bought.
It will be considered as same one app icon.
It's unlike 3DS games that you can have multiple different saves on each cartridge.
For example, if I bought ACNH physical Europe version then I insert the USA cartridge, the machine will recognize the ACNH app as the same game as Europe version.

Ahh so it does do that, that answers my question cheers!

I think I explained this in another thread, but it probably depends on the SKU.

If possible, try to set up at least one account from a different region and check if any of your digital purchased games and DLC appear as "Acquired" on the foreign eShop. If it appears as such, then the games and DLC will be the same version regardless of the region, meaning that if for example you have a digital UK version of Super Mario Odyssey and you get a physical Japanese copy, you can continue to use the save file made on the digital UK one.

That's the case for most Nintendo-published games, though I cannot say for certain with Pokémon since I don't have any game or bought any DLC.
I have noticed that some listings on the Mexican eShop have Pokémon games listed as another "Nintendo" that only has released Pokémon games starting with New Pokémon Snap all the way to the upcoming FireRed/LeafGreen re-releases. These coincide with the listings on the Japanese eShop that say those games were released by "Pokémon".
That said, Pokkén Tournament DX, Sword/Shield, Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX and Home appear as listed with the rest of Nintendo games such as Mario, Zelda, Kirby and Metroid.

For third-parties, even those with Nintendo directly involved such as Cadence of Hyrule, the Hyrule Warriors and Fire Emblem Warriors games or the Mario + Rabbids games, it's not always the case.

For instance, when I browse the eShop with my Japanese account, my purchases of the Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC appear as "Acquired" since I got them on my original Mexican account, but SEGA games and DLC (namely Sonic ones) appear as not purchased, and when I get some of the free DLC available, it appears as a second icon for the same game on the HOME Menu screen.
Super Bomberman R has some DLC in the Japanese eShop which is not available in the American one per se since it was included in an update, but I can still download it and my American save file registers it as a valid download (even if in-game it changes nothing).

TL;DR It depends on the decisions of publisher(s) in a case-by-case basis.