Nintendo Unveils New Virtual Game Card System to Conceal Game Cards

Nintendo has officially rolled out its new Virtual Game Card (VGC) system with the latest update for the Switch, allowing users to discreetly manage their digital game collection. As shared by a user on X/Twitter, this feature enables you to hide your Virtual Game Cards from your acquired list on the VGC portal, ensuring that others cannot see which games you own—whether for privacy reasons or simply to keep things tidy.

I personally tried out this functionality and found it worked seamlessly. Games such as the Suikoden I&II HD Remaster and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe were successfully hidden from my acquired list. While these titles remained visible on my OLED Switch when installed or active, they disappeared once uninstalled.

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

Although this method requires some effort—such as unhiding and reinstalling games to make them playable—it does offer a degree of privacy. However, even when hidden, my account still registered activity for Suikoden I&II HD Remaster upon launching the game.

While this isn’t the most convenient solution, it could serve as a useful parental control tool if you wish to restrict access to certain games like Mortal Kombat or Doom. Alternatively, it might appeal to those who prefer keeping certain titles private during social gatherings.

The update also includes several other notable changes, such as redesigned icons, a new 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, you can check it out here.