Everything you need to know about Nintendo Switch Online.
Nintendo Switch Online is Nintendo’s paid subscription service for online play, cloud saves, a growing catalogue of classic games, and other benefits.
The service began as a fairly bare-bones but affordably priced offering, and has since evolved to include a wide range of features, mobile apps, and unique social elements across two plans: the standard Nintendo Switch Online membership and the higher-priced Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack.
Both tiers enable online multiplayer in compatible paid Nintendo Switch games, access to Save Data Cloud for a majority of titles, and special offers such as the opportunity to purchase classic-style controllers. Both tiers are also available as either Individual or Family plans for up to eight players.
With the arrival of the Nintendo Switch 2, the service has expanded even further with features exclusive to the new system.
Unlike its competitors, Nintendo has maintained relatively stable pricing, with the base tier remaining one of the most cost-effective ways to access online console gaming and a large library of retro classics.
Our guide explains what each Nintendo Switch Online tier includes, how they differ, and who they’re best suited for.
Last updated: 24 December, 2025.
Nintendo Switch Online at a glance
Nintendo Switch Online
What’s included:
- Online multiplayer for compatible games
- Cloud save data backup for supported titles
- Access to a library of classic NES, SNES, and Game Boy games
- Access to GameChat for in-game voice and video chat (Nintendo Switch 2 only)
- Special offers and exclusive rewards on the MyNintendo store
- Occasional Game Trials
- Missions and Rewards: earn Platinum Points by completing activities
- Nintendo Switch App: manage friends list, share screenshots and videos, and use voice chat in supported games
- Nintendo Music: a dedicated music streaming app featuring Nintendo game soundtracks
Price:
Individual one-month membership
- Canada: $5.99/month
- UK: £3.49/month
- US: $3.99/month
Individual three-month membership
- Canada: $11.99/quarter
- UK: £6.99/quarter
- US: $7.99/quarter
Individual 12-month membership
- Canada: $29.99/year
- UK: £17.99/year
- US: $19.99/year
12-month family membership (up to eight accounts):
- Canada: $49.99/year
- UK: £31.49/year
- US: $34.99/year
Who is it for?
This is the baseline tier for most Nintendo Switch players. It’s ideal if you want online multiplayer for games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon 3, or Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and enjoy classic 8-bit and 16-bit games. Access to cloud saves also makes it super useful for homes with more than one Switch system. The Family plan offers good value if you’re sharing with friends or family members. It’s the cheapest way to get online, with some retro bonuses as a nice extra.
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack
What’s included:
Everything from the base tier, plus:
- Access to library of Game Boy Advance, Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis/Megadrive titles
- Access a library of Nintendo GameCube titles (Nintendo Switch 2 only)
- DLC and upgrade packs for select first-party games, including:
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass (48 extra tracks)
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise
- Splatoon 2 – Octo Expansion
- Splatoon 3 Expansion Pass
- Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrades for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which adds improved resolutions and frame-rate, plus access to the Zelda Notes feature via the Nintendo Switch App
Price:
Individual 12-month membership
- Canada: $69.99/year
- UK: £34.99/year
- US: $49.99/year
12-month family membership (up to 8 accounts)
- Canada: $109.99/year
- UK: £59.99/year
- US: $79.99/year
Who is it for:
The Expansion Pack is a good fit for players who want to revisit as many classic games as possible. It’s worth remembering that many titles in the Nintendo Classics catalogue now support online multiplayer. The included DLC expansions for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and the Splatoon series are substantial and a great addition for games you’ll keep coming back to. For Nintendo Switch 2 owners, the Expansion Pack also unlocks a small but growing catalogue of GameCube games and excellent enhanced versions of the Zelda titles.
Things to know
New classic games for December 2025
Nintendo regularly adds new titles to its classic game libraries. Here’s what’s been added recently:
Nintendo 64
- Rayman 2: The Great Escape
- Tonic Trouble
GameCube
- Wario World
Games rotate into the service regularly, with Nintendo usually announcing additions about a week in advance. First-party Nintendo titles generally remain in the catalogue permanently, while third-party games may cycle in and out over time.
Voice chat and social features
Nintendo takes a typically unique approach to voice chat. On the original Nintendo Switch, voice chat requires the Nintendo Switch App on your smartphone. When playing compatible games online, you can start voice chat with other players through the app.
On Nintendo Switch 2, a new feature called GameChat is built directly into the system. GameChat allows up to 12 people to voice chat and share screens in real time, even if they’re playing different games. If you connect a compatible USB-C camera, you can also enable video chat. GameChat is free to use until 31 March 2026, after which it will require a Nintendo Switch Online membership. In a nutshell, it’s Zoom for a games console.
Nintendo Music
Nintendo Music is a free mobile app for all Nintendo Switch Online members. It functions like Spotify but exclusively features Nintendo game soundtracks. The app allows you to create playlists, download music for offline listening, and even extend certain tracks for longer listening sessions. A neat spoiler-prevention feature can also hide tracks from games you haven’t finished yet.
Read more about our thoughts on Nintendo’s somewhat convoluted app ecosystem.
Cloud saves aren’t universal
Not every Switch game supports Save Data Cloud. Some titles – most notably the Pokémon series and Animal Crossing: New Horizons – omit it to reduce cheating or because of how their save data is structured.
How to subscribe and cancel Nintendo Switch Online
You can subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online or manage your membership directly from your console or via the Nintendo website.
On console: Go to Nintendo Switch Online → Select your account → Go to Your Membership
Online: Visit nintendo.com, sign in to your Nintendo account → Select your account profile → select Nintendo Switch Online
To cancel your subscription, log into your Nintendo account on the website, navigate to your account profile, then select Manage under Nintendo Switch Online. You can then turn off automatic renewal. You’ll retain access for the remainder of your paid period.
Check out our guides to Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus to compare subscription services across all major gaming platforms.
