5 Ways To Save Money On Nintendo Switch Games

If you're a gamer strapped for cash, finding ways to save a few dollars here and there can add up to serious savings over time. However, unlike other AAA titles developed for PC and other consoles, Nintendo Switch games often take a while to go on sale. For a long time, Nintendo marketed their games at $60; however, they officially made the jump to $70 new games when "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom" was released on May 12, 2023.

The most obvious way to save money on Nintendo games is to use the official sales & deals page on the Nintendo website. The company will often post specific sales, like Black Friday deals and other seasonal and holiday sales for Switch games and Nintendo merch. If you scroll down, you can find all the featured sales that Nintendo has on different games.

Many people end up waiting for Nintendo sales to buy their games since even older Nintendo exclusives tend to stay expensive for a longer time. Remember that not all things listed on the sale page will be games, as there's a lot of DLC. Here are five other ways to save money on Nintendo games.

While it seems counter-intuitive that you'd need to spend money to save money, a Nintendo Switch Online membership is not too pricey, and the money you can save on games and things you get with the subscription might result in savings within just a few purchases.

Though it varies depending on which plan you get, a Nintendo Switch Online membership currently costs only $19.99 per year for one person, which comes to around $1.67 per month if you buy a year at a time. Along with gaining access to Online Play for various games, being a Switch Online member provides people with special offers and opportunities for exclusive deals.

It also provides access to free games, including NES, SNES, Game Boy, and other classic Nintendo games like the original "Super Mario Bros." and "Banjo Kazooie" for N64. Newer free games include "Tetris 99" and "F-Zero 99," though more games may be released in the future.

Nintendo Game Vouchers are essentially credits one can get with Nintendo, equating to real-life dollars that can be redeemed for games. Each Nintendo Switch Game Voucher costs $99.99 on the Nintendo website and can be used to purchase two Nintendo games. Considering that many upcoming new Nintendo titles will be $70 on release, you save $40 on every two games you buy. Vouchers are especially useful if you're the type to hop onto a game as soon as it releases.

There are a few big caveats with using Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers. One is that they must be spent within the first 12 months of purchase, so buy them strategically when new games are coming out. Secondly, you'll need to be a Nintendo Switch Online member, so that's an additional $20 per year. 

Lastly, you'll need to select from a pre-determined list of games from Nintendo, though this often includes big titles, like "Mario RPG" and "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom," which are currently on the list.

One of the coolest aspects of the Nintendo Switch in our digital world is that the games come with a physical cartridge. This fact enables people to trade or even sell and buy used games. Gaming stores like GameStop sell pre-owned games with significant discounts on certain pre-owned titles. 

Local game and tech stores, like eStarland, which has a store in Virginia, also sell used Nintendo Switch games online. You may be able to find a game store near you with good deals, so it might be worth investigating.

Other sources for used games include re-sell websites like eBay and Facebook Marketplace. Sometimes, people will get rid of all the games they no longer play, so it might be a good opportunity to scoop up a bundle of different titles at a low price. Just make sure you read user reviews on the user to ensure that you're buying from a good seller.

Much like using Nintendo Game Vouchers, My Nintendo Gold Points (coins) are a way you can save money when buying Nintendo Switch games. Each time a purchase is made digitally or in-store physically, you'll gain more coins. To start earning, you'll need to set up a Nintendo account (not to be confused with a Nintendo Online account), which is free.

It is a little confusing, but essentially, one coin = $.01, and you can get coins each time you purchase a Nintendo game, whether that be a digital copy or a physical cartridge. DLC and downloaded games will give you 5% of the value of your purchase back in coins, and physical purchases will give you 1%. In other words, for every $50 you spend on digital games, you'll get $2.50 back, and every $50 in physical games provides $.50 worth of coins to your account.

Gold Points aren't earned when using Nintendo Vouchers, and you can't earn any when you purchase a pre-owned game. Coins get added to your account for physical games when you register the game on the Home menu for your Nintendo Switch. While it seems like a pretty paltry sum, you're leaving free money on the table if you aren't using them.

One less obvious solution to the never-dropping price of expensive Nintendo games is to circumvent Nintendo and purchase discounted eShop gift cards from a third party. Costco regularly sells $50 digital cards for only $44.99, so you're saving $5 each time you use this method. Keep in mind several reviews for the cards say that delivery can sometimes take a bit, so keep this in mind if you plan on using this method.

Other websites may sell these cards even cheaper, but make sure you're going with a reputable site to keep your personal info out of the hands of the wrong people. After all, saving a few bucks is far less important than keeping your personal and card details safe, which is why Costco is a pretty solid and safe choice.

Ultimately, there are a few smart ways to save money on Nintendo Switch games. By using all of these ideas together, you can rack up savings during a sale period and help soften the blow of buying your favorite games.