Is Switch Online Worth It? The Expansion Pack Makes Most Sense as a One-Year Trial
The basic plan runs $20 a year, the upgraded tier $50, and Switch 2-exclusive features like GameChat and the GameCube library make the math even trickier. Here's a rundown of what you actually get, so you can decide which tier to pick.
The easiest thing to overlook when subscribing to Nintendo Switch Online isn't the price—it's cloud save backup. If your system breaks or you're switching to a new one, your progress doesn't have to start over. Engadget writer Ben Stegner has been subscribed continuously since the service launched in September 2018, and says this feature alone is worth the price of admission.
The basic plan costs $20 a year, working out to less than $2 a month. Beyond online play (paid games like Splatoon 3 or Mario Kart World require a subscription to play online, while free-to-download games like Rocket League or Fortnite don't), it also throws in the Nintendo Classics retro game library, with roughly 200 NES, SNES, and Game Boy titles—everything from classics like Super Metroid and Super Mario Bros. 3 to obscure picks like Crystalis. There's also a standalone Nintendo Music streaming app that supports Android Auto and CarPlay.
Want more? The $50-a-year Expansion Pack unlocks N64, Game Boy Advance, Sega Genesis, and Virtual Boy game libraries (though you'll need to buy the official reproduction console or a paper viewer separately to actually play Virtual Boy games). The more compelling draw is three bundles of DLC included with the subscription: Animal Crossing: New Horizons' "Happy Home Paradise" (originally $25), Splatoon 2's Octo Expansion (originally $20), and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's Booster Course Pass (originally $25).
If you own a Switch 2, the subscription unlocks two more things. Either tier gives you access to GameChat, the voice and screen-sharing feature activated by the controller's C button, which pairs with GameShare to let friends without the game join in. Upgrading to the Expansion Pack gets you the still-nascent GameCube library, currently limited to a handful of titles like Wario World and Luigi's Mansion, plus the Switch 2 enhancement packs for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom (originally $10 each, adding 4K resolution and 60fps)—making the gap between the two tiers even more pronounced.
Ben Stegner's practical advice: treat the Expansion Pack like a one-year "tasting menu" subscription. A year is plenty of time to finish an enhanced Zelda title plus the Octo Expansion, and dabble in the other DLC and expanded game library along the way. When the year's up, if you don't feel motivated to keep going, just drop back to the basic plan. The family plan is another good value calculation—$35 a year for basic, $80 a year for the Expansion Pack, shared among up to 8 people regardless of address. Split between three or four people, the per-person cost drops dramatically. The basic plan also offers a 7-day free trial and a $4-a-month option, so you can test it out before committing to a full year.
