How Many Times Can I Change My Primary Nintendo Switch? (As Much As You Want!)

Hey gamers! Have you ever wondered if you can switch your Nintendo Switch‘s primary console designation whenever needed? As an avid gamer and Switch expert, I have the inside scoop for you. Let‘s dive into the details on changing your hot Switch primary console!

What Exactly is a Primary Console?

When you first link your Nintendo Account to a Switch and access the eShop, that console automatically gets labeled as your account‘s "primary console."

Key Primary Console Features:

• Anyone using the device can play games you‘ve downloaded with your account. This allows for easy game sharing among other user profiles on the primary Switch!
• Only the primary console provides this full game sharing capability.

So the main benefit of setting a console as your primary is enabling shared access to your downloaded Nintendo content.

You Can Change Your Primary Whenever You Want!

Here‘s the best news gamers…there is NO LIMIT to how many times you can change your primary Switch console!

You simply deregister the current primary device and then register your desired new primary console. Rinse and repeat anytime you want!

The only catch is that you can only utilize the remote deregistration option (website, no device access) once per year for each Nintendo account.

But using the Switch itself to change primary consoles has unlimited uses. Feel free to swap your primary anytime it suits you!

Step-By-Step Guide to Changing Your Hot Primary

Let‘s get into the nitty gritty on actually changing your primary device. Follow these steps whenever you want to name a new number one Switch:

1. Access your current primary console and open the eShop
2. Go to your account settings
3. Select the "deregister primary console" option
4. Confirm deregistration
5. Your previous primary console loses this designation
6. On your new desired primary device, launch the eShop
7. This automatically registers this console as your new hot primary!
8. Check your account settings to confirm the updated primary console

Boom! With just a few clicks, you now have a new primary console ready to share your stellar game collection!

Game Sharing Changes When You Switch Primaries

It‘s important to understand how swapping primary devices affects game sharing across your Switch consoles:

As this breakdown shows, full game sharing is only enabled on your current primary console. So when evaluating a primary switch, keep this table in mind!

What About Console Lifespans and Storage Limits?

With the freedom to change primaries whenever, two common questions arise:

How long will my Switch actually last?

According to Nintendo, they designed the innovative Switch to exceed the average console lifespan of 5-6 years, targeting 10 years of gaming glory! This means you should get tons of mileage out of any primary Switch console.

Can I Run Out of Storage Space for Games?

This depends on your Switch‘s onboard storage capacity and digital game file sizes. While the default Switch offers 32GB, upgraded models provide 64GB and even 128GB storage.

Based on average game sizes of 1-4GB, here‘s how many can fit for each capacity tier:

• 32GB Switch: 8-16 games
• 64GB Switch: 16-32 games
• 128GB Switch: 32-64 games

So splurging on a higher storage Switch means you can stuff WAY more digital gaming goodness onto your primary device!

With 130+ million Switches sold so far, it‘s clear this console has some long-term staying power. And you have endless flexibility to change which system serves as your game sharing master primary!

Bottom Line

Go ahead and swap your primary console on command…the power is yours! Just be aware of how shifting your primary affects game access across hardware.

Armed with this intel, you now have full ability to name a new number one whenever you please! Game on gamers. 🕹