Most Switch games work anywhere in the world, but some don't
Nintendo Switch games are not region locked in the way older Nintendo systems were. You can buy a physical game cartridge from Japan, Europe, or anywhere else and play it on a Switch console purchased in the United States — or vice versa. The game will run. Your console will not refuse it based on where it came from.
The catch is smaller but real: a handful of games have restrictions built in by their publishers, not by Nintendo. These are rare, but they exist. Additionally, digital games purchased through the eShop are tied to the region where you created your account, which creates a practical limitation even though it is not a technical lock.
If you are buying physical cartridges, region does not matter. If you are buying digital games, your account region does matter, and switching regions is possible but requires some planning.
Key Takeaways
- Physical Switch game cartridges play on any Switch console regardless of where the cartridge or console was purchased.
- Digital games are locked to the region of the eShop account that purchased them, so a game bought on a US account will not appear in a Japanese account's library.
- A very small number of games have region restrictions imposed by publishers, but these are exceptions and usually announced before release.
- You can create multiple accounts on one Switch console, each tied to a different region's eShop, to access games from different stores.
- Changing your account's region is possible but erases your access to games purchased in the old region until you switch back.
Why physical games have no region lock
Nintendo removed region locking from the Switch hardware entirely. The console reads the game cartridge's code and runs it, regardless of which country's version you own. This is different from the Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, and earlier systems, which checked the cartridge's region code before allowing play.
This means you can import games from other countries without any workaround or modification. A Japanese copy of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild plays identically on a US Switch. You pay whatever that cartridge costs in its home market, which is sometimes cheaper than your local price, and you get the game in whatever language is printed on the box.
The only real difference between regional versions is the language support and the box art. The game code itself is the same worldwide.
How digital games are region-locked through your account
When you create a Nintendo Account and link it to your Switch, you assign it a region based on your address. The eShop you access is tied to that region. Games you purchase through that eShop are added to that account's library and will not appear in other regional accounts on the same console.
This is not a technical lock on the game file itself — it is a restriction on which account can download and play it. If you buy a game on your US account, only your US account can launch it. A Japanese account on the same console cannot access it, even though both accounts are on the same physical Switch.
The reason Nintendo does this is to enforce regional pricing and prevent people from buying games in cheaper regions and reselling them. It also lets publishers control which regions get which games at which times.
The rare exceptions: games with actual region restrictions
A very small number of Switch games have region locks imposed by their publishers, separate from the account system. These games will not run on a console set to certain regions, even if you own the cartridge or have the game in your library.
This happens almost exclusively with games that have licensing issues in specific countries — usually sports games with player likenesses, or games with music or content that is not licensed for certain regions. WWE 2K18 and some versions of Persona 5 Royal had regional restrictions, for example. Publishers announce these restrictions before release, so you will know if a game you want has them.
If you are buying a physical cartridge and want to check whether it has region restrictions, search the game's name plus "region lock" before you buy. For digital games, the eShop listing usually mentions restrictions in the description.
Creating multiple accounts to access different regional eShops
You can create as many accounts as you want on a single Switch console, and each account can be set to a different region. This lets you access eShops from different countries and buy games from each one. All accounts on the console can play games purchased by any other account on that console, as long as you set one account as the console's primary account.
Here is how it works: if your US account buys a game, and you set that account as the primary account for the console, then any other account on that console (including a Japanese account) can play that game. Only the account that purchased it needs to be online to verify the license once per day.
This is a legitimate way to access games from multiple regions, but it requires maintaining multiple accounts and understanding which account is set as primary. If you change the primary account, you lose access to games purchased by the old primary account for other users.
Changing your account's region and what happens to your games
You can change your Nintendo Account's region, but doing so has consequences. When you change regions, your eShop access switches to the new region's store, and you lose the ability to download or play games you purchased in the old region — at least until you change back.
Games you already own do not disappear from your console, but you cannot launch them while your account is set to a different region. The license is tied to the region where you bought it. If you change back to your original region, your access returns immediately.
Changing regions also requires you to have an address in that region on file with Nintendo. You cannot simply pick a random country — you need a real address there, or at least one that passes Nintendo's verification. This is why most people use multiple accounts instead of switching regions repeatedly.
What to do if you want to play imported games
If you have a physical cartridge from another region, you do not need to do anything. Insert it and play. Your console region does not matter.
If you want to buy digital games from another region's eShop, create a new account on your Switch and set that account to the region you want. You will need an address in that region to complete the account setup. Once the account is created, you can buy games through that region's eShop, and any account on your console can play them if you set the purchasing account as primary.
If you want to change your main account's region, understand that you will lose access to your existing digital library in that region until you switch back. Most people find it easier to keep their main account in their home region and create a secondary account for other regions instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play a Japanese Switch game cartridge on my US console?
Yes. Physical cartridges have no region lock. A game cartridge from any country plays on any Switch console. The game will run in whatever language is on the cartridge, so you may need to understand Japanese if that is the version you buy.
If I buy a digital game on my US account, can someone else on my console play it?
Yes, if you set your account as the console's primary account. Any other account on that console can then play games you purchased. If your account is not set as primary, only your account can play your games.
What happens to my games if I change my account's region?
Games purchased in your old region become unplayable until you change your account back to that region. The games do not delete, but your license to play them is region-specific. Changing back restores access immediately.
Are all Switch games available in every region's eShop?
No. Some games are released in certain regions only, or released at different times. Creating accounts in multiple regions lets you access games that may not be available in your home region's eShop.
Do I need to change my console's region to play imported games?
No. Your console does not have a region setting. Only your account has a region. You can play physical cartridges from any region on any Switch, and you can create accounts set to different regions on the same console.