The Nintendo Switch will be using a new account system known as Nintendo Account. Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime now elaborates that this new system will allow players to tie their purchases to their account instead of locking that purchase to a specific device.
"What I can tell you is that with the introduction of the Nintendo Account, we now have the capability of tying consumer purchases to their particular account. So that opens up a range of executions for us to address that consumer desire and need," Fils-Aime explained in a video interview with Gamespot (via Gaming Bolt).
Previous Nintendo products like the Wii U and 3DS utilized a different system in which purchases were tied to a device. This meant a consumer who purchased a Virtual Console game, such as "Mega Man 2," for their Wii U would have to buy it again if they wanted to play it on a 3DS.
This is a stark difference from Nintendo's competitors and even in other industries. A consumer with a single Netflix account can access their movies and TV shows whether they are on a computer, phone or smart TV.
Sony featured this similar system as well, tying purchases between the PS4 and PS Vita, This guarantees consumers they don't need to buy the same game twice. This is also apparent in mobile devices, with Google allowing Android users to access their apps across different devices.
However, Fils-Aime did not confirm yet if previous Virtual Console purchases will also be transfered to the new Nintendo Account. It is still uncertain if digital purchases made on the Wii U will carry over to the Switch, Games Radar reported.
The Virtual Console has thrived since the generation of the original Wii and with each new Nintendo product more games from past systems have been re-released. If purchases transfer then consumers who previously bought old titles on the Wii U and 3DS won't have to buy them again just to play them on the Switch.
The Nintendo Switch releases this March 3. The interview with Fils-Aime can be viewed below: