Nintendo eShop gifting arrives November 17: how to send Switch and Switch 2 games to family group members, the limits, and what system update 23.5.0 adds
Nintendo is adding gifting to the Nintendo eShop on Switch and Switch 2 on November 17, 2026 (November 16 in the US), but only to members of your Nintendo Account family group. How to send a gift, the limits, the 23.5.0 system update it requires, and the Super Mario Party Jamboree 2.4.0 update.
Video: “Virtual Game Card – Nintendo Direct 3.27.2025”, official Nintendo of America YouTube channel, March 27, 2025 (3:32 p.m. Paris time), 2 min 37 s. This is not a video about gifting: Nintendo has not released one. It explains virtual game cards and lending games to family group members, the same family group that gifting will use. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWwyh74MXXY
You will soon be able to buy a digital game on the Nintendo eShop and send it as a gift, but only to someone in your Nintendo Account family group. Nintendo says the feature arrives with an eShop update on November 17, 2026 (Nintendo of America says November 16 for the US), on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 consoles running system version 23.5.0 or later. That update came out on November 9, 2026. Here is how gifting works, its limits, what 23.5.0 changes, and what is still unclear for France and Europe.
When eShop gifting starts (and the time zone question)
- Date: “a Nintendo eShop update, scheduled for November 17, 2026”, according to Nintendo’s 23.5.0 system update notes for Switch 2 and Switch. Nintendo of America’s announcement (dated 11/09/26) says the feature will be added on “Nov. 16” for the US.
- Time: Nintendo has not given an hour. For France, plan on November 17, the date in the system notes, and check the eShop that day.
Requirement: the console must run system version 23.5.0 or later. Installing it now does not unlock gifting before the eShop update.
Who you can send a gift to
- Only to members of your Nintendo Account family group. A friend on your friend list who is not in the group cannot receive one.
- A family group holds up to 8 accounts, the administrator included. It can contain regular accounts, supervised accounts (usually children aged 15 and under) and parent/guardian accounts (Nintendo support).
- Supervised accounts cannot send gifts.
How to send and receive a gift
- On your console, open the Nintendo eShop and go to the product page of the game.
- Tick “Give as a Gift”, then continue to purchase.
- Pick the recipient from your family group members, then which of their linked consoles should receive it.
- Choose a gift wrap color and the other options, then pay as usual.
- The gift is sent immediately, with no scheduled delivery, so do not buy it too early if it is a surprise. It shows up on the recipient’s HOME Menu, where they can accept it and play right away.
Limits to know before buying
- Eligible content: games, DLC and upgrade packs (such as Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrades), but “some products may not be eligible”. Nintendo has not published the list.
- Nintendo limits the number of gift purchases “in a given period”, without giving the figure.
- Not announced: refunds, cross-region gifting between eShops in different countries, and gifting from the Nintendo website. Until the feature goes live, the alternatives are still prepaid eShop cards or lending a virtual game card to a family group member (up to 14 days).
What else system update 23.5.0 changes
- Nintendo Switch 2: accessibility settings can now be set during first-time setup. Portuguese (Portugal) has been added to “Text to Speech” and to GameChat’s “Convert Text to Speech”. Plus general adjustments and fixes.
- Nintendo Switch: support for the upcoming gifting feature, plus general fixes.
- To update: System Settings > System > System Update. The update normally downloads automatically when the console is online.
Also on November 9: Super Mario Party Jamboree 2.4.0
- On Switch 2, the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV now supports GameShare using GameChat. On the title screen, “GameShare” now offers “Friends via GameChat”.
- Maps and rules have been added as GameShare options in the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition.
- On Switch 2 and Switch: other fixes. The update is required for the game’s online features.
What we do not know yet
- The exact time gifting goes live, and Nintendo Europe’s confirmation for France.
- The list of products that cannot be gifted, and the exact limit on gift purchases.
- What happens with refunds, and whether gifts work between accounts registered in different countries.
Sources: Nintendo of America, “Coming soon: Gift digital games to family group members”, November 9, 2026: https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/coming-soon-gift-digital-games-to-family-group-members/ ; Nintendo Support, “System Update Information for Nintendo Switch 2” (Ver. 23.5.0, released November 9, 2026): https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/68473 ; Nintendo Support, “Nintendo Switch System Update Information” (Ver. 23.5.0): https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/22525/~/nintendo-switch-system-update-information ; Nintendo Support, “How to Update Super Mario Party Jamboree” (Ver. 2.4.0, November 9, 2026): https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/66545/~/how-to-update-super-mario-party-jamboree ; Nintendo France support, “Puis-je envoyer un cadeau via le Nintendo eShop ?” (in French): https://www.nintendo.com/fr-fr/Assistance/Achats-et-abonnements/Puis-je-envoyer-un-cadeau-via-le-Nintendo-eShop--1379015.html ; Nintendo France support, family group (in French): https://www.nintendo.com/fr-fr/Assistance/Compte-Nintendo/Qu-est-ce-qu-un-groupe-familial-de-compte-Nintendo-1468055.html ; Gematsu, November 9, 2026: https://www.gematsu.com/2026/11/switch-2-and-switch-system-updates-version-23-5-0-now-available ; all checked November 10, 2026.
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