The Nintendo Switch is a fantastic console that is perfect for home and on-the-go play. One of the best things about the Switch is the first-party games from Nintendo, like Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. But the problem with those games is that they rarely drop in price—or if they do, it takes years.
To help you out, we've rounded up these tips to help you save money when buying games on the Nintendo Switch, like buying from the eShop during a sale or using third-party key sites.
1. Buy a Nintendo Switch Voucher for a Discounted Pair of Games
If you have a Nintendo Switch Online membership, you can buy a Nintendo Switch Game Voucher. This voucher can be redeemed against two full-priced Switch games that you must buy together (the selection changes periodically to include the latest releases) and represents around a 15% saving compared against buying them separately.
Be careful which games you choose because some of them you can buy cheaper elsewhere individually. However, grab two first-party Nintendo games and you've secured yourself a deal.
The Nintendo Switch Game Voucher is only available in certain regions, though those are subject to change. At the time of writing, it's available in the UK, but not Northern America. Also, the voucher is valid for 365 days from purchase, so don't let it expire.
2. Buy From the eShop During a Sale
The Nintendo eShop is your one-stop shop for everything Switch related. It has demos, software, games, and more. You can access it via your Switch or online at the eShop website. Buying from the eShop is great because it's an official destination, and it means you can download and install your purchase immediately.
However, you don't want to pay full price for a digital download, especially if it's not cheaper than a physical copy. As such, you should wait for an eShop sale. Handily, there's always one on, and you can view all the discounts in the "Top deals" section.
Keep an eye on the eShop during holidays and franchise anniversaries, since these are when the best discounts will appear, especially on first-party Nintendo games which rarely get a price cut.
3. Subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online
Nintendo Switch Online is a subscription service that primarily grants you access to play your Switch games in online multiplayer. It costs $19.99/year, though you can also sign up for 30 or 90 days.
Unlike Sony's PlayStation Plus subscription, Nintendo Switch Online unfortunately doesn't give you discount on games. What it does give you is access to retro Nintendo games, titles like Super Mario 35 and Tetris 99, and the occasional free in-game item.
As such, if you're a retro gaming fan, you can save yourself buying something like the SNES Mini and get them all on your Switch instead.
4. Buy a Switch Bundle
If you haven't actually bought your Nintendo Switch yet, there's a way you can save before you even have the console in your hands—buy a bundle.
Rather than buying the console by itself, you could buy one of the many Nintendo Switch bundles that package in a game or two. It's more expensive than just buying the console, but cheaper than if you were to buy everything separately.
Plus, if you time it right, you could get your hands on an awesome limited-edition themed console, like the Monster Hunter Rise Nintendo Switch.
5. Shop Second Hand
As we've already mentioned, it's rare for Nintendo to discount its first-party titles. That's because it knows these will continue to sell well for years, even at full retail price. For the thrifty gamer, it's unfortunate.
However, there's a market that Nintendo doesn't control: the second hand market. As long as you don't mind buying a used game (and you shouldn't, since the actual software isn't any different), you can shop on sites like eBay, Craigslist, and Facebook Marketplace and nab some pretty deep discounts.
Plus, once you've finished playing, you can then sell the game and make some money back.
6. Buy Game Keys
When you buy digital software, you often get a "key". This is just a string of characters that is redeemed against your account. As such, rather than buying your game keys from the eShop, consider using a third-party website.
These websites often sell Nintendo Switch keys cheaper than the eShop because they benefit from regional pricing and can pass that to you. However, first read our guide on everything to know before buying discounted game keys.
7. Borrow From Friends
While Switch digital games are tied to the console you buy them on, and there's no digital sharing feature like on the PlayStation, this doesn't apply to physical games. As such, if you have a group of friends who all enjoy playing the Nintendo Switch, why not club together and share your physical games?
You can take it in turns to pass the games between the group. That way you're only buying a few of the games, but you get to experience them all. Of course, this plan isn't foolproof—you might not want to wait to play a certain game or you might fall out with someone—but it's a nice and easy way to save a chunk of cash.
Gaming on the Switch Doesn't Have to Break the Bank
Gaming has always been an expensive hobby, but that cost seems to be on the rise recently. With consoles and their games becoming more pricey, it's understandable that you want to try to save as much as possible. Hopefully some of these tips have proved useful.
Be sure to always keep your eyes on game discount sites. Many of these let you set up alerts so you can be notified as soon as a game you want goes on sale. Remember, never pre-order or buy a game full priced; there's no point.