Nintendo has rolled out a new Virtual Game Card (VGC) system with the latest firmware update for the Switch, allowing users to discreetly manage their digital game library. As noted by a user on X/Twitter, this feature enables owners to hide their Virtual Game Cards from public view within their acquired list on Nintendo’s VGC portal. This means that anyone browsing your profile won’t see the games you've chosen to conceal—for privacy, security, or personal preference reasons.
I personally tried this out and successfully hid titles such as the Suikoden I&II HD Remaster and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. When these games were installed or active on my OLED Switch, they remained visible in my list. However, once uninstalled, they disappeared entirely from the acquired list.
Nintendo’s new VGC system is now live on the Switch ahead of the anticipated Switch 2 release. At present, you can view your Virtual Game Cards under "Redownload Software" in the system settings. To locate hidden games, you’ll need to navigate to the "Can't Find Software?" section and log in via your Nintendo account. The same applies to the online portal, where hidden games are grouped together in a separate folder.
While this method offers a degree of privacy, it does come with some limitations. For instance, simply hiding a game doesn’t prevent it from being marked as actively played when launched. Additionally, the process requires you to manually unhide and reinstall games to make them accessible again, which can be tedious.
That said, this feature could serve practical purposes, such as acting as a parental control tool for shared consoles. It might also appeal to individuals who wish to keep certain games private during social gatherings.
The update also brings several other changes, including redesigned icons, the introduction of the system transfer feature for the upcoming Switch 2, and the closure of a popular workaround for game sharing. For more details about the latest Nintendo Switch firmware update, check out the official announcement here.
