Nintendo Switch Online: Membership Price, Features and Expansion Pack

Summary: Nintendo Switch Online costs $19.99 a year for one account or $34.99 for a family of up to eight, and it is required for online play and cloud saves. The Expansion Pack tier, $49.99 individual or $79.99 family, adds Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, Sega Genesis and, on Switch 2, GameCube games plus several paid DLC packs.

• Individual plans: $3.99 for one month, $7.99 for three, $19.99 for twelve.
• The family plan covers up to eight Nintendo Accounts, even on different consoles.
• Switch 2 GameChat needs a membership, and GameCube classics need the Expansion Pack.
• A 7-day free trial exists for the base plan only.

Nintendo Switch Online is Nintendo's subscription for online play on both the original Switch and Switch 2. Most people only need the base plan, but the Expansion Pack has become a much better deal as the classic libraries have grown. Here is what each tier costs in the US and what you actually get.

How Much Is a Nintendo Switch Online Membership?

Nintendo Switch Online price in the US before tax, as listed on Nintendo's membership comparison page:

• Individual, 1 month: $3.99
• Individual, 3 months: $7.99
• Individual, 12 months: $19.99
• Family, 12 months: $34.99
• Expansion Pack individual, 12 months: $49.99
• Expansion Pack family, 12 months: $79.99

The yearly individual plan is less than half the cost of paying monthly for a year, so the one-month option only makes sense for a short burst of online play. Other regions price in local currency and can differ.

Nintendo Switch Online Features and Games

• Online multiplayer in games such as Mario Kart, Splatoon and Smash Bros.
• Save data cloud backup for supported games.
• Nintendo Classics libraries of NES, Super NES and Game Boy games.
• The Nintendo Music app and member-only offers.
• GameChat voice and video chat on Switch 2.

Free-to-play games such as Fortnite do not need a membership for online play. Everything else with online modes generally does.

What Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack Adds

• Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance and Sega Genesis libraries.
• GameCube classics, playable on Switch 2 only.
• Paid DLC included while you are subscribed, such as the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass and Animal Crossing: New Horizons Happy Home Paradise.

The DLC alone can justify it: the Mario Kart and Animal Crossing packs cost about the same as the Expansion Pack's yearly upgrade if bought separately. The catch is that you lose access to them if the membership lapses.

Nintendo Switch Online GameCube and N64 Games

The Nintendo 64 library includes Super Mario 64, Mario Kart 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and GoldenEye 007. The GameCube library arrived with Switch 2 and started with The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, F-Zero GX and SoulCalibur II, with more titles added over time. Both sit behind the Expansion Pack, so a basic membership will not show them, and GameCube games also need Switch 2 hardware.

How the Nintendo Switch Online Family Plan Works

One person buys the family plan and invites up to seven others into a Nintendo Account family group. Members do not have to live together or share a console; they just need their own Nintendo Account. Split between four or more people, the Expansion Pack family plan works out cheaper than a basic individual membership each.

Nintendo Switch Online on Switch 2

The same membership covers both consoles, so upgrading does not mean paying twice. Switch 2 owners get two extras: GameChat, which requires an active membership, and the GameCube library for Expansion Pack members. If you are still deciding on the console, our breakdown of the Nintendo Switch 2 price covers the rest of the bill.

Retro games on the Expansion Pack play better with a proper controller than with Joy-Con, and marketplaces such as Banggood stock budget pads and microSD Express cards worth pricing against retail.

Nintendo Switch Online Free Trial

Nintendo offers a 7-day free trial of the base individual plan to accounts that have not had a membership recently. Adults must add a credit card or PayPal, and the trial turns into a paid monthly membership unless you switch off automatic renewal in Nintendo eShop before it ends. The trial cannot be used for the Expansion Pack.

Paying Without a Card on File

You can buy a membership with Nintendo eShop funds instead of a card, which also stops automatic renewal from charging you by surprise. Add funds with an eShop gift card, or redeem a dedicated Nintendo Switch Online membership code directly in the eShop under Redeem Code. Both have to match your Nintendo Account's region.

Is Nintendo Switch Online Worth It?

If you play anything online, the base plan is effectively mandatory and at $19.99 a year it is the cheapest console subscription around. The Expansion Pack is worth it if you want the retro libraries or already planned to buy one of the included DLC packs. If what you really want is more new games rather than old ones, renting through a service such as GameFly covers that gap better than any Nintendo tier.

Which Tier Fits Your Household

A solo player who only plays online should take the $19.99 yearly plan. Two or more players should go straight to the family plan. Anyone who wants N64 or GameCube classics, or the Mario Kart and Animal Crossing DLC, should buy the Expansion Pack family plan and split it. For what to play once you are online, see our pick of the best Switch 2 games.

To pay for a year upfront without a card on the account, get a Nintendo Switch Online membership code.