Nintendo adds digital game gifting to Switch family groups
Nintendo eShop will let eligible Switch and Switch 2 family-group members gift digital games, DLC and upgrade packs from November 16.
Nintendo is adding a long-requested convenience to its digital storefront: family-group members will soon be able to gift eligible games, downloadable content and upgrade packs to one another through Nintendo eShop. The feature arrives on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 on November 16, following the rollout of system version 23.5.0 on November 9. 1
How Nintendo’s game gifting works
On a compatible product page, the buyer will select the new “Give as a Gift” checkbox before choosing a recipient from their Nintendo family group. Nintendo says the buyer can also choose which of the recipient’s linked systems should receive the purchase, then select gift-wrap options before completing payment. Gifts are delivered immediately to the recipient’s HOME Menu, where they can be accepted and played. 1
Nintendo family groups can contain up to eight accounts, but the new system comes with some important limits. Certain products may not support gifting, supervised accounts cannot send gifts, and Nintendo says the number of gift purchases allowed within a given period will be restricted. The company has not announced a change to game pricing, and the source announcement is specifically from Nintendo’s US site, so eligible products and account rules may differ between regional eShops. 1
The feature is aimed squarely at households that already share a Nintendo family group. It should make birthday and holiday purchases less awkward than sending someone a code, while keeping the transaction inside Nintendo’s existing storefront and account system. The immediate delivery rule is worth noting: once the purchase is complete, there is no delayed reveal or manual redemption window for the recipient. 1
Our opinion
This is a small but meaningful improvement for Nintendo families. The eight-account limit and supervised-account restriction mean it is not a universal gifting system, but putting the recipient selector directly into the product page is clearer than making buyers juggle codes or guess which version of a game will work. The real test will be regional availability and how broad “eligible products” turns out to be when the feature arrives on November 16.