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Choose Nintendo Switch Online if you’ll regularly use its compatible online play, supported cloud saves, classic-game libraries, or included Expansion Pack content. Buy games individually if you mainly want a few current titles and want to keep access to them without maintaining a membership. You can combine the two: some Expansion Pack DLC requires you to own the full game separately.
How the choices differ
Nintendo Switch Online is a recurring membership that provides eligible online features and access to certain libraries and content while your membership is active. Buying a game gives you access to that purchased game without relying on an active Nintendo Switch Online membership. The right comparison is not the cost of a membership against the price of every game in its catalog; compare it with the specific games and features you expect to use.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Minecraft - Nintendo Switch | $29.83 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - US Version | $52.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Mario Kart™ World (Nintendo Switch 2) | $79.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Super Mario Galaxy™ + Super Mario Galaxy™ 2 | $64.99 | Buy on Amazon |
What Nintendo Switch Online includes
Standard membership
Nintendo lists online play in compatible games, Save Data Cloud for compatible games, classic NES, Super NES, and Game Boy libraries, Nintendo Music, and special offers as standard membership benefits. These features are not universal: online play and cloud backup depend on game compatibility. Nintendo Switch 2 owners can also use GameChat with either membership tier, subject to Nintendo’s online requirements. See Nintendo’s US membership overview and Nintendo Support’s overview and FAQ.
Classic games and membership lapses
Nintendo says classic games are available while membership is active. They can be played offline, but the account must connect online at least once every seven days to verify membership. If membership ends, access to the classic games ends too; their save data remains on the console and can be used again if membership resumes. Nintendo Support’s FAQ says, “There are no plans to make the games available outside of the Nintendo Switch Online service.” That is Nintendo’s current statement, not a guarantee that its plans will never change. Read Nintendo Support’s classic-games FAQ.
#1 Best Overall
- Minecraft is a game about placing blocks and going on adventures
- Explore randomly generated worlds and build amazing things from the simplest of homes to the grandest of castles
- Play in creative mode with unlimited resources or mine deep into the world in survival mode, crafting weapons and armor to fend off the dangerous mobs
- Play on the go in handheld or tabletop modes
- Includes Super Mario Mash-Up, Natural Texture Pack, Biome Settlers Skin Pack, Battle & Beasts Skin Pack, Campfire Tales Skin Pack; Compatible with Nintendo Switch only
What Expansion Pack adds
Expansion Pack includes standard membership benefits plus additional classic libraries and selected downloadable content (DLC) and upgrade packs. Availability depends on the console: Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, Virtual Boy, and SEGA Genesis libraries are listed as Expansion Pack benefits; Nintendo GameCube classics are exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo’s listed content and eligibility can change, so check its current US membership comparison and support terms.
Included DLC is not the full game
Nintendo’s current US comparison lists the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass and Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise among included DLC. You must buy the relevant full game separately, and access to the included DLC requires an active Expansion Pack membership. If membership lapses, access to that included DLC pauses. In practical terms, Expansion Pack can make sense if you already own a listed base game and want its DLC; it does not replace buying that base game. Nintendo also lists Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion, but check current platform and availability details before making a game-specific decision.
Rank #2
- New stages and fighters are joined by the combined rosters of every past Super Smash Bros. Game
- Challenge others anytime, anywhere, whether you're on the couch or on the go
- Play any way you want—locally, online, in TV mode, Tabletop mode, Handheld mode, or even with GameCube Controllers
- Fight faster and smarter with new and returning techniques, like the perfect shield and directional air dodge
- Face off in 2-4 player battles, or play against the computer
For example, if you want Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as well as its included Booster Course Pass content, the membership benefit covers the DLC only while eligible; it does not provide the full Mario Kart 8 Deluxe game. Check Nintendo’s Mario Kart 8 Deluxe listing for the base game.
Current US prices
The following are Nintendo’s listed US prices accessed in 2026. Nintendo says prices depend on membership duration and country, so check your local eShop before buying.
Rank #3
- Race from one course to another through interconnected paths that span the world
- Traverse mountains, forests, cities, and more—with shifting weather patterns and a day/night cycle
- Ride on rails, jump off walls, skim across water, and more as you race for the finish line
- Take on the adrenaline-packed Knockout Tour—a fierce 24-driver elimination mode
- Explore courses at your own pace and wander the world to discover fun surprises in Free Roam
| Membership | Individual | Family |
|---|---|---|
| Standard, one month | $3.99 USD (Nintendo Support US price table) | Not stated for this term (Nintendo Support US price table) |
| Standard, three months | $7.99 USD (Nintendo Support US price table) | Not stated for this term (Nintendo Support US price table) |
| Standard, one year | $19.99 USD/year | $34.99 USD/year, up to eight accounts |
| Expansion Pack, one year | $49.99 USD/year | $79.99 USD/year, up to eight accounts |
The annual individual Expansion Pack price is $30 more than standard; the family Expansion Pack price is $45 more than standard. Those differences are calculated from Nintendo’s listed US annual prices. A family plan’s per-person cost depends on how many accounts actually share it; Nintendo describes family membership as covering up to eight accounts. Sources: Nintendo of America’s US overview and Nintendo Support’s US price table.
Which option fits your play?
Choose membership if you’ll use its benefits regularly
- You play compatible games online and want Nintendo’s paid online features.
- You rely on Save Data Cloud for games that support it.
- You want the membership-based classic libraries and accept that access depends on an active subscription.
- You already own a game whose included Expansion Pack DLC you intend to play.
- Several accounts can share a family membership, making its cost more useful to your group.
Buy games individually if access to specific titles matters most
- You mainly want a small number of current games rather than membership features and libraries.
- You do not need Nintendo’s paid online features.
- You value being able to access your purchased games without renewing a membership.
Use this decision sequence
- Write down the games and online features you actually expect to use.
- For each game, check whether Nintendo Switch Online online play and Save Data Cloud are supported; Nintendo qualifies both as compatible-game features.
- Compare the local membership price with the cost of buying those specific games.
- For Expansion Pack DLC, confirm that you own the full base game and are comfortable with DLC access ending if membership lapses.
- If multiple accounts will participate, compare a family membership with the cost of separate memberships; Nintendo’s family tier covers up to eight accounts.
What happens if membership ends?
Access to membership-only classic games ends when membership expires, while the classic-game save data remains on the console and can be used again if membership resumes. Access to DLC included with Expansion Pack also pauses when the membership lapses. These conditions are different from buying an individual game, which does not depend on an active Nintendo Switch Online membership for access to the purchase itself.
Rank #4
- Journey through space in two Super Mario adventures, now improved for the Nintendo Switch system!
- Travel the stars with enhanced resolution, improved UI, and additional content
- Learn more about the Lumas from additional Storybook chapters, groove to a bit of additional music
- Get additional Health and fall recovery in Assist Mode
- Join Rosalina and the Lumas to restore the Comet Observatory and rescue Princess Peach in Super Mario Galaxy.
Sources and price scope
This comparison describes Nintendo’s US-facing plans and listed benefits as accessed on October 4, 2026. Prices, included games and DLC, regional availability, and membership terms may change. Nintendo’s pages note that Nintendo Account and membership are required for online features, and that some features are limited by compatibility or country.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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