One of the common complaints about digital purchases from the eShop on the Wii U or 3DS is that your games are tied to your hardware rather than your Nintendo Account in the cloud. So unlike Steam, PlayStation, or Xbox, you can’t get your purchases back if your device is stolen or damaged.
In many cases, you might just want to erase a 3DS to exchange it for a fancy limited edition, but right now you would need to have the two devices in your possession to transfer your purchases from one unit to another before the old one is erased.
We recently saw images of the Nintendo Switch menus of a NeoGAF user who got their device earlier than expected. In this video, many eagle-eyed people spotted the following statement in the Switch UI:
For those struggling to read the screenshot, here’s what it says:
Your Nintendo Account contains your Nintendo eShop purchase history and your current balance. By re-linking your Nintendo Account after initializing the console, it will be possible to redownload any software or downloadable content purchased with that account. (Software that has been discontinued may not be available for re-download in some cases.)
For those who plan to download the bulk of their games to the Nintendo Switch, this will undoubtedly be a source of convenience. As always, let us know what you think with a comment below.
