Nintendo has rolled out its new Virtual Game Card (VGC) system with the latest Switch update, offering players a new way to manage their digital game library discreetly. If you're someone who values privacy and wants to keep certain games out of sight, you'll be pleased to know that you can now hide your Virtual Game Cards from your acquired list on Nintendo's VGC portal. This feature ensures that any games you choose to hide won't be visible to others browsing your list, giving you control over which titles are displayed.
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 when installed or loaded, they vanish from the list once uninstalled. This means your hidden games remain accessible on your console but are tucked away from view in your online profile.
To access your hidden games, you'll need to navigate to the "Redownload Software" section on your Switch and then proceed to the "Can't Find Software?" area, where you'll log into your Nintendo account to view the list of hidden titles. Similarly, on the Nintendo website, these hidden games are stored in a separate folder accessible via 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 in my Play Activity when I booted it up, despite it being hidden. However, this feature could be particularly useful as a parental control tool if you're sharing your console and want to keep certain games like Mortal Kombat or Doom out of reach. It could also be handy if you prefer to keep some of your more risqué game titles private, especially in social settings.
With the introduction of the Virtual Game Card system, the latest Switch update also includes redesigned icons, a system transfer feature in preparation for the upcoming Switch 2, and the closure of a popular loophole for game sharing. For more details on the new Nintendo Switch firmware update, you can check out the full coverage [ttpp].
