Nintendo is expanding its eShop functionality starting November 16, 2026, enabling users to gift digital games, DLC, and upgrade packs directly to members of their Nintendo family group.
This feature, arriving with system update 23.5.0, functions across both original Nintendo Switch consoles and the upcoming Switch 2 hardware.
Family Group Constraints Limit Utility
The new gifting architecture is siloed strictly within existing Nintendo Account family groups. Unlike Steam or other PC storefronts that allow gifting to any user on a friends list, Nintendo’s implementation requires the recipient to be one of the eight members of a shared family group, as reported by PC Guide.
Kotaku noted the historical context of this shift, highlighting that for over a decade, platforms like Steam have allowed open-ended gifting. On the console front, Microsoft’s Xbox ecosystem remains the primary peer for this functionality, whereas Nintendo has resisted such direct peer-to-peer digital transfers until now.
Software Update 23.5.0 Deployment
The technical rollout coincides with the release of firmware version 23.5.0. To access the feature, users must go to an eligible product page on the eShop, where a "Give as a Gift" option will appear.
The transaction flow allows the purchaser to select the recipient from their family group and choose from eight different digital wrapping paper colors. Once the purchase is finalized, the software appears directly on the recipient’s home screen.
A new system update for Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch is available now, adding support for an upcoming feature that will allow you to gift Nintendo eShop products to members in your Nintendo Account family group. Find out more: https://t.co/L06SJj1CRL
However, the system lacks scheduling capabilities. While the feature supports full games and DLC, Nintendo has confirmed that some unspecified products will remain ineligible for gifting.
Supervised Accounts Cannot Send Gifts via Nintendo Switch
The architecture imposes strict boundaries on who can initiate a transaction. Supervised accounts—typically those managed by parents—are barred from sending gifts, though they remain eligible to receive them. Nintendo has also introduced an unspecified cap on the number of gifts a single user can purchase within a given timeframe.
“The feature, added in firmware update 23.5.0 and launching November 16, will allow players within a family group on Nintendo Switch to gift digital games to one another via the eShop, Kotaku reported.”
The Unanswered Questions
Nintendo has not disclosed the criteria for which digital products are excluded from the gifting program, leaving a gap in transparency for users looking to gift specific bundles or pre-orders.
It is unclear if this conservative approach to digital ownership will expand to include more gifting after the launch.
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