Did you know that you can purchase a Switch game on the Nintendo eShop and share it with other people? Or that you could both play this shared game together at the same time? Well you can, as long as you have a good internet connection and are willing to put your profile on someone else's Switch.
Game sharing works on the Nintendo Switch much in the same way it does on PlayStation 4. If you're unfamiliar with the process, the basic idea is that you buy a digital copy and are then able to give other users the ability to access it. People have used it to give their friends access to certain DLC or multiplayer games for years. Thanks to Reddit user IMtoppercentage97, we now know that you can use this feature to have someone play the same Switch game alongside you. That means having a training partner in Super Smash Bros, Ultimate, or taking on Inkopolis together in Splatoon 2. And you only need to buy one copy of the game.
What You Need
The first thing you need, obviously, are two Nintendo Switch systems. One of them must be your "home system." In case you don't know what that means, it's probably the first Switch you ever attached your Nintendo account to. You'll also need to log your account onto the second Switch, the one a friend or family member will be playing on.
The second requirement is internet access for both systems. Your and your friend will also both need a Nintendo Switch Online subscription if you intend to play online multiplayer games like Splatoon 2.
Finally, you must have bought the game you intend to share via the Nintendo eShop using your account, the one on your home system. Game sharing only works with digital copies. You can't exactly break a cartridge in half and split it.
How It Works
You should now have your home Switch, complete with internet connection and the eShop-purchased game downloaded, and your friend's Switch with your account logged in. On your friend's Switch, go to the eShop. Search for the game you want to share, and you should be able to "re-download" it. Viola! That's two Switches playing a game for the price of one.
One technical note: Since the game is tied to your account, you can download this purchase on any Switch your account is logged in to. Of course, that also means that any Switch that isn't your home Switch can only play the game using your account. Your home Switch, however, will boot the game up for any user. This little bit of information is essential to the next part.
Playing The Same Game At The Same Time
Sharing games is all well and good, but playing together makes it even better. To do this, you just need to be specific with user accounts. This is where the whole "home system" thing comes into play. In the example above, IMtoppercentage97 shared Pokémon Let's Go! Pikachu with their brother. They were even able to trade and battle each other despite both playing the same copy of the game.
To copy this feat, you need to let your friend play using your account. That's right, they need to log in on your account to remotely access the game. You, with your home system, can play with any account you want. So use your friend's account, or just make a second account.
Alternatively, you can make your friend's account the home system if you're going to frequently share with them. To do that, you'll need to open the eShop, go to the "Account Information" menu, and disable the primary console setting on your Switch. Then go into your friend's Switch on your account, go to the same eShop Account Information menu, and enable primary console on theirs. Then they can play your game on their Switch with their profile, and you will use the re-download function to play on your account.
Whatever you decide, you're able to play at the same time as long as you're using two different accounts and have internet access. The only restriction is that you can't play multiplayer with local wireless. You have to use internet multiplayer to trade Pokémon, smash some bros, or splat squids. But that's a small price to pay to share the Nintendo fun with friends.