Thankfully all of your eShop purchases are saved to your profile, and it is very easy to reinstall deleted or archived software on your Nintendo Switch. Keep reading to find out how.
What Does Redownloading a Game Mean?
When you buy a game for your Nintendo Switch, either physically or through the eShop, you own it for life. So if you need to delete games to make room for new ones, you can redownload instead of having to repurchase a game the next time you want to play it. It also allows you to replace your Nintendo Switch console without fearing losing your entire gaming library in the process.
Redownloading software on your Nintendo Switch simply means putting a game you previously owned back on your system, so you don’t have to pay for it twice. Redownloading a game is very easy, and there are multiple ways to do it.
The method you should use to redownload a title will vary, depending on whether you archived or deleted the game. But if you no longer have space on your console to redownload a game you want to play again, check out our guide to learn how to archive software on your Nintendo Switch.
How to Redownload a Game From Your Nintendo Switch Home Screen
If you archived your software, the game icon would still be on your console. It might even still be on your Home menu if you archived it recently. If it was a while ago, and you can’t find the game icon on your Home screen anymore, don’t worry! You will still be able to get your game back.
On your Nintendo Switch home menu, scroll to the game you wish to redownload. It should have a cloud icon beside the game’s title. Select the game and press Download.
If you can’t find your game on your Nintendo Switch Home screen, follow the instructions below to reinstall your software.
Scroll to the right on your Home screen and select All Software. Select the icon of the game you’re looking for. Press Download.
Your game will begin reinstalling on your Nintendo Switch console. If you could not find the icon of the game you wish to reinstall, you might have deleted the software.
How to Redownload a Game From the Nintendo Switch eShop
If you deleted your game rather than archived it, you can still redownload it by heading over to the Nintendo Switch eShop. You can do this by selecting Redownload Software from the All Software menu or launching it from the Home screen.
Open the Nintendo Switch eShop and select your user. Press your user icon in the top-right corner of the screen. Scroll down to Redownload. Scroll through the list until you find the game you’re looking for. Press the cloud icon next to the game to start the download.
You also have to use this method if you are reinstalling games from a preexisting account on a new Nintendo Switch system.
This is one of many essential things you should know about your Nintendo Switch. If you want to learn more of these handy hints, check out our 12 essential tips and tricks for new Switch owners.
The eShop Is Your Oyster
The Nintendo Switch is full of surprises and quality of life improvements, and reinstalling archived or deleted software is just one of many. It’s a great way to save space on your console, so you can play a wider variety of games.
Having the ability to archive or delete software and quickly and easily reinstall it allows you essentially to have an endless rotating library of video games, so you can game to your heart’s content.
