You cannot split the digital Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Double Pack between two consoles

What you need to know

• The Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl Double Pack is available digitally or physically and comes with both games.
• If you have two consoles you cannot purchase the Double Pack digitally and have one per console unless you have one Switch set as the primary console.
• This is not an issue for the physical copy as that comes with the cards that can be separately installed on any Switch, Switch Lite, or Switch OLED console.

With all the exclusive Pokémon and trading options, many Pokémon fans have a buddy or family member they play these games with to max out the Pokédex. For this reason, Nintendo has been releasing their Pokémon games in double packs to offer a little easier option than buying the games separately. For families that share a Switch and have multiple people who want to play the separate games, it makes a lot of sense to buy the double pack digitally.

However, if you have separate consoles, buying the digital double pack is not the route to go. After purchasing the Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Double Pack digitally on the eShop, the game will be downloaded to the Switch account it was purchased from. Players will not be able to choose where to have the game downloaded to in order to split one game to a first Switch and the other game to a second Switch unless you want to have one of those consoles dedicated as your primary console.

The Switch that is not the primary console will have to be connected to the internet in order to be able to access the game while the primary will be able to access it without connection. While this is an option available, it isn't necessarily ideal. It makes more sense in this case to make separate digital purchases, one of Diamond and one of Pearl, on the Switch you want the game to be available from.

Another option is to buy the physical copy of the double pack. This will come with two game cards and no restrictions on what console you must use to download the game. So if you plan to split these games among two consoles, the physical copy may be your best option. But if you're stuck on digital, make sure to purchase the games separately from the account you plan to play from since you can't split the double pack up. Preorders of the game are sold out in many retailers, so you may have to wait until release day to secure a physical copy.

You can purchase the physical versions of the Double Pack here, which can be split between two consoles: