Nintendo Unveils New Virtual Game Card System to Hide Game Cards

Nintendo's latest Switch update introduces the new Virtual Game Card (VGC) system, which is now live and offers users the ability to keep their game cards hidden from prying eyes. If you're someone who values privacy or simply wants to keep certain games out of sight, this feature is for you.

As demonstrated by a user on X/Twitter, you can hide your Virtual Game Cards from your acquired list on Nintendo's VGC portal. This means that anyone checking your list of Virtual Game Cards won't see the games you've chosen to hide, for whatever reason you might have. I personally tested this feature and successfully hid games such as Suikoden I&II HD Remaster and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. While these games still appear on my OLED Switch if they're installed or loaded, they disappear from the list once uninstalled.

To view your hidden games, you'll need to navigate to the "Redownload Software" section in your games list and then go to the "Can't Find Software?" section, where you'll need to log into your Nintendo account. The same process applies on the Nintendo website, where hidden games are tucked away in a separate folder under the "Can't Find Software?" option.

This method might seem a bit cumbersome, as you'll need to unhide and reload games to play them again. Additionally, my account still showed that I was playing Suikoden I&II HD Remaster when I booted it up, and it was also marked in my Play Activity.

However, this feature could be useful as a parental control option if you're sharing consoles and want to keep certain games like Mortal Kombat or Doom inaccessible to younger players. It might also come in handy if you have some titles in your Switch catalog that you'd prefer not to display at social gatherings.

With the latest update, you can now hide your Virtual Game Cards. The update also includes redesigned icons, a system transfer feature for the upcoming Switch 2, and the closure of a popular game sharing loophole. For more details on the new Nintendo Switch firmware update, you can read more here.