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Door staff@engadget.com (Ben Stegner) - 22 Aug 2026
Overall, Switch Online's base plan is a good value for nearly everyone. $20 a year is less than $2 a month, and you get plenty of value for the low cost. The Nintendo Classics library is worth poking around, plenty of Switch games offer enjoyable online play, and the Nintendo Music app is fun if you want something different — it even works with Android Auto and CarPlay. The save data backup alone pays for itself by protecting your time investments.
The Expansion Pack is more dependent on what kind of player you are. Treating it as a one-year "sampler platter" is a good way to start. If you have any interest in the expanded Nintendo Classics libraries, you can dig through those catalogs. The same goes for the three DLC packs and two Zelda upgrade packs. A year's subscription is enough time to complete at least one of the Zelda games and the Octo Expansion, plus try out the other DLCs. At the end of the year, if you've lost interest in the classic games and are done with the DLCs, you can revert to the lower tier.
Switch Online becomes an even better value with the family plans. For $35/year (base plan) or $80/year (Expansion Pack), up to 8 people can each enjoy the benefits. Plus, unlike many group plans, Nintendo doesn't care if you live in different locations. You also have the option to let family group members borrow your Switch games, which is another way to save.
With even three or four people, the price drops to an affordable amount per member. The core plan offers a seven-day free trial, as well as a $4/month offering, so you can give it a shot before you commit to a year.
The Expansion Pack is more dependent on what kind of player you are. Treating it as a one-year "sampler platter" is a good way to start. If you have any interest in the expanded Nintendo Classics libraries, you can dig through those catalogs. The same goes for the three DLC packs and two Zelda upgrade packs. A year's subscription is enough time to complete at least one of the Zelda games and the Octo Expansion, plus try out the other DLCs. At the end of the year, if you've lost interest in the classic games and are done with the DLCs, you can revert to the lower tier.
Switch Online becomes an even better value with the family plans. For $35/year (base plan) or $80/year (Expansion Pack), up to 8 people can each enjoy the benefits. Plus, unlike many group plans, Nintendo doesn't care if you live in different locations. You also have the option to let family group members borrow your Switch games, which is another way to save.
With even three or four people, the price drops to an affordable amount per member. The core plan offers a seven-day free trial, as well as a $4/month offering, so you can give it a shot before you commit to a year.