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How to Gift Nintendo Switch Games

Giving a Switch game is easy once you know the three ways to do it — a cartridge, a download code, or an eShop card. Here's each, plus the one region catch.

By Stephen V.Last updated How we pick

Nintendo makes this simpler than it looks. There’s no “send a friend a game” button like on Steam, but you have three easy routes, and one of them — an eShop gift card — is the safest gift there is, because it lets the recipient pick whatever they want with no risk of a duplicate.

The three ways, step by step

  1. Decide: cartridge, download code, or eShop card. A physical cartridge is easy to wrap and can be lent or resold. A download code is instant and can't be lost. An eShop gift card lets them choose any game themselves — the safest option if you're unsure what they own.
  2. If you're giving an eShop card, buy the right amount and region. Nintendo eShop cards come in fixed amounts and are region-locked, so buy a card for the same country as their Nintendo Account (a US card only works on a US account).
  3. They open the eShop on their Switch. On their Switch, the recipient opens the Nintendo eShop and selects their user account.
  4. They choose 'Enter Code'. In the eShop, they select Enter Code and type the code from the card or download — it's 16 characters (Nintendo never uses the letters O, I or Z, so an 'O' is really a zero).
  5. The funds or game are added to their account. A gift-card code adds funds to their Nintendo Account balance to spend on any game; a specific download code adds that game directly. They can also redeem online at Nintendo's redemption page.

The one thing to double-check: region

eShop cards are region-locked. A card bought in the US only works on a Nintendo Account set to the US. This almost never causes trouble for a gift bought and given in the same country — just don’t buy an imported or foreign-region card. If in doubt, buy the card from a retailer in the recipient’s own country.

Still deciding which game?

If you’re buying for a child, our best Switch games for kids list is sorted by age band with the official rating on every pick. And if you’re starting from nothing, the gamer gift checklist gets you to the right shortlist in five questions.

Gifting on a different console?

Each platform handles this differently, and Nintendo sits in the middle for ease. Xbox is easy — it has a real gift button in its store that sends a specific game to a friend or an email address. Steam on PC is now the easiest of all, since Valve’s July 2026 update let you gift to an email address with no Steam account of your own. PlayStation is the hardest, with no gift button at all. If you haven’t decided between a cartridge and a code yet, physical vs digital games weighs up which suits your situation, and our gaming gift cards buying guide compares every platform’s store card if a card is where you’ve landed.

How this is funded: Player Two Co earns a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes which gift we recommend, and we’ll tell you when we’d skip one. Full disclosure.

The safest of the three routes

If you don’t know what they already own, this is the version of a Switch gift that cannot go wrong — they pick the game themselves, and there’s no risk of a duplicate. Buy the card for the country their Nintendo Account is set to. Price is live and dated, not typed in by us.

Can't-go-wrong pick

Nintendo eShop Gift Card

When you're not 100% sure what they own, a store card is the honest, can't-go-wrong answer. This lets any Switch owner pick their own games and add-ons — no risk of a duplicate.

Great because

  • Impossible to get wrong — they choose
  • No worry about duplicate games
  • Available in several amounts

Keep in mind

  • Feels a touch less personal than a wrapped game
Platform
Nintendo Switch
Type
Gift card
Works with
Any Nintendo Switch account
Good for
All ages

Skip it if: Skip if you'd rather give something they can physically unwrap.

Details read from the product listing on July 22, 2026. Price is live from Amazon.

Frequently asked questions

Can you gift a Nintendo Switch game digitally?

The simplest ways are a download code for a specific game or a Nintendo eShop gift card that the recipient redeems and spends themselves. Nintendo doesn't have a direct 'send this game to a friend' button like Steam, so a code or a card is the route.

How does someone redeem a Nintendo eShop card?

On their Switch, they open the eShop, choose their account, select Enter Code, and type the 16-character code. The funds are added to their Nintendo Account balance. They can also redeem online at Nintendo's website.

Are Nintendo eShop cards region-locked?

Yes. An eShop card only works on a Nintendo Account set to the same country. A US card won't redeem on a European or Japanese account, even on the same console — so buy the card for the recipient's country.

Physical cartridge or digital — which is the better gift?

A physical cartridge is nicer to wrap, can be lent or resold, and doesn't depend on knowing their account. A digital code or eShop card is instant and can't be misplaced. If you're not sure what they own, an eShop card is safest because they pick.

Will the game work on a Switch Lite or OLED?

Standard Switch games work across the regular Switch, the Lite and the OLED. The rare exception is a game that requires detached controllers or TV mode, which won't suit the handheld-only Lite.

Sources

  • Nintendo — Nintendo eShop Cards — Nintendo's own page on eShop cards: funds add to a Nintendo Account balance to spend on games and DLC in the eShop; cards are sold in fixed amounts (accessed July 22, 2026)
  • Nintendo Support — How to Redeem a Nintendo eShop Download Code — Nintendo's official redemption steps: open the eShop, choose Enter Code, and enter the 16-character code, or redeem online — a Nintendo Account is required and the balance is region-locked to the account's country (accessed July 22, 2026)
  • ESRB — Ratings Guide — The Entertainment Software Rating Board's official age-rating definitions: E (Everyone), E10+ (Everyone 10+), T (Teen), M (Mature 17+) and the content descriptors printed on every game box (accessed July 22, 2026)
  • Amazon — Video Games store — Amazon's video-games storefront, where the games, gift cards and gear on this site are sold and priced (accessed July 22, 2026)

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