Nintendo Online + Expansion Pack Release Date

Nintendo Switch Online vs Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack: which is right for you?

(Image credit: Time to come)

Do you lot want to race against people all over the earth in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe? Or practise you fancy a visit to a friend's island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons? Then you'll need to subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online.

In the by, Nintendo only offered gamers one subscription tier. But now, thanks to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack, there's a more premium option that comes with actress benefits.

Both subscription packages grant you lot access to online multiplayer games, then you can't get incorrect with either one. However, there's a clear winner when it comes to toll and value, depending on what you lot're looking for.

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Nintendo Switch Online vs Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack: price and release date

Nintendo Switch Online launched on September 18, 2018. Online play was initially gratuitous on Nintendo Switch from March 3, 2017, to September xviii, 2018, but at present all users must pay a subscription fee.

Some complimentary-to-play titles like Ninjala don't require a Nintendo Switch Online membership, but the vast majority of titles merely let you play online if y'all've subscribed to Nintendo'south service.

Thankfully, Nintendo Switch Online is relatively inexpensive. It costs $19.99 / £17.99 / AU$29.95 for a 12-month subscription, or users can choose to pay $vii.99 / £6.99 / AU$11.95 for iii months membership or $3.99 / £3.49 / AU$five.95 per calendar month. A family membership for up to 8 accounts is also available.

Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack launched on October 25, 2021, and is noticeably more than expensive than the regular subscription service. A 12-month subscription, which is the only option bachelor, costs $49.99 / £34.99 / AU$59.95, only it does come with some boosted benefits (which we'll outline below).

Interestingly, UK players are getting a somewhat improve deal on the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack; US Switch owners will have to pay roughly 2.5 times as much for the Expansion Pack tier, which is quite the price increase.

Nintendo Switch Online vs Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack: features

Nintendo Switch Online N64 Genesis — (Epitome credit: Nintendo)

And then what separates a standard Nintendo Switch Online membership from the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack? Ultimately, information technology comes down to additional content.

Both memberships allow you play online, access a curated library of over 100 NES and SNES titles, and automatically back up your game data to the deject for supported titles. You can also download and utilise the Nintendo Switch Online companion app and admission sectional offers for members but like Game Trials.

However, the real difference between the two memberships is that the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack grants users access to various N64 and Sega Genesis games. These games all support online play (where applicable), suspend and resume points, and the same type of features we've been used to in the NES and SNES apps.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons fans will too be pleased to hear that the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack includes the game's upcoming DLC, Happy Dwelling house Paradise. This DLC lonely costs $24.99 / £22.49 / AU$37.l, which may sway some people into upgrading to the more expensive tier if they want to play N64 and Sega Genesis games.

Nintendo Switch Online vs Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack: verdict

The Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack isn't a necessary upgrade right now, but information technology's an splendid option to take. Unless you accept a hankering to play classic games from the N64 and Sega Genesis era, it'south difficult to justify the toll increment, even for Animal Crossing: New Horizon fans.

The biggest trouble with Nintendo's online service every bit a whole is that it still doesn't offer the aforementioned stability and value that PS Plus and Xbox Game Laissez passer Ultimate provide.

The skilful news is, it does keep improving. For case, the latest Nintendo Switch update has brought improvements to N64 emulation on Nintendo Switch Online. This means that classics similar The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Fourth dimension are now running a whole lot better.

So although it's cheap and cheerful, it does seem to exist a continual work in progress.

Of grade, if you lot want to play online, a Nintendo Switch Online membership is necessary. There'due south likewise no denying that playing classic games anytime, anywhere, and with online multiplayer thrown in isn't a novel feel. Only ultimately, it will depend on how much yous value the titles and consoles on offer.

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Adam is TRG's Hardware Editor. A law graduate with an exceptional track record in content cosmos and online engagement, Adam has penned scintillating re-create for various technology sites and also established his very own laurels-nominated video games website. He's previously worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor and one time played Halo 5: Guardians for over 51 hours for clemency. (He's still recovering to this day.)