Nintendo has rolled out its new Virtual Game Card (VGC) system with the latest Switch update, offering users the ability to keep their game cards out of sight. If you're keen on keeping your game collection private, 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 checking your VGC list, catering to those who want to maintain some level of privacy.
I personally tested this functionality and successfully hid titles like Suikoden I&II HD Remaster and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. While these games still show up on my OLED Switch when installed or loaded, they disappear from the list once uninstalled. This means that if you want to keep certain games under wraps, you'll need to ensure they're not installed on your console.
To manage your hidden games, you can navigate to your games list via "Redownload Software" on your Switch. However, to view your hidden titles, you'll need to go to the "Can't Find Software?" section and log into your Nintendo account. The same applies on the Nintendo website, where hidden games are tucked away in a separate folder accessible through the "Can't Find Software?" option.
This feature might be particularly useful for those sharing consoles and looking to utilize it as a form of parental control. For example, you can hide games like Mortal Kombat or Doom to prevent younger users from accessing them. Alternatively, if you're concerned about certain games in your collection being seen by others at social gatherings, this could be a handy way to keep them discreet.
Despite the convenience, it's worth noting that hiding games can be somewhat cumbersome. You'll need to unhide and reload games to play them again. Additionally, when I booted up Suikoden I&II HD Remaster, it still registered as being played on my account and showed up in my Play Activity.
Alongside the VGC system, the latest update also introduced redesigned icons, a system transfer feature in anticipation of the upcoming Switch 2, and closed a popular game-sharing loophole. For more details on these changes, you can dive deeper into the new Nintendo Switch firmware update [ttpp].
