Nintendo Switch Online is by far the cheapest online offering in the console space, even if we use the pricier Expansion Pack as a comparison point. There’s a lot of value here, if you know where to look. Here are some features you might have missed.
10Nintendo Music
Nintendo Musicis the latest addition to Nintendo Switch Online, yet it has very little to do with the Switch at all. Instead, this streaming service for tunes from across Nintendo’s history is exclusively available on iOS and Android.
I hadmy qualms with Nintendo Music at launch, but Nintendo’s regular injections of all-time great soundtracks—alongside a hearty helping of oddities—has made it a pretty substantial perk. It also includes features like looping, curated character playlists, and a spoiler-free mode, making it well-suited for game lovers.
9Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers
Your Nintendo Switch Online subscription allows you to buyNintendo Switch Game Vouchers. These let you pick two games froma list spanning Nintendo’s first party outputfor a single charge of $100. That’s $20 off, which is already twice the value of the standard online subscription. The company even includes its newest games upon release, though there’s an important caveat to this.
Games for the Switch 2 won’t be eligible for the vouchers, which calls into question just how long Nintendo will support this perk. It’s still great value at present if you want to fill out your digital library with existing Switch games that rarely go on sale, but it’ll see diminishing value as Nintendo enters its new era. It’s possible Nintendo offers a replacement for this program, but we’ll have to wait and see.
8NSO Mobile App Game Tie-Ins
The Nintendo Switch Online Mobile App foriPhoneandAndroid(not to be confused with the Nintendo Music app) was dead on arrival sincenobody wanted voice chat through their phone. You may not have bothered to download it because of this.
However, underwhelming voice chat is only half of what the app offers. Its real draw is thefeature-rich hubs for a few popular games. These include using your phone to chat and emote inAnimal Crossing: New Horizons, downloading player-made stages forSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, and getting exclusive outfits forSplatoon 3. Better yet, theAnimal CrossingandSplatoonsections are modeled after the in-game phone interfaces! There’s a lot to sift through here, and it’s worth checking out if you play those games.
7Avatar Customization
The basic Switch profile avatars aren’t particularly interesting, which is where Nintendo Switch Online comes in. Using the service’s on-device portal (the red icon on the bottom left of the home screen), you can receive Platinum Points for completing quests and exchanging them for new avatar parts.
There are three layers to this—characters, backgrounds, and frames—which can be interchangeably used tocreate an avatar that’s uniquely yours. The only limitation is that you can’t cross-pollinate between franchises. Also, the selection of redeemable icon elements constantly shuffles so you may not be able to immediately obtain your favorite characters, though wait long enough and Nintendo is likely to circle back to the franchises you love.
6SEGA Genesis Controllers
You’re probably aware that you can buy Switch-compatible Bluetooth replicas of the NES, SNES, and Nintendo 64 controllers. What may surprise you is that Nintendo also offers aSEGA Genesis Control Pad.
It’s a nostalgic novelty for Mega Drive mega fans at $49.99, helping give a surreal air of authenticity to playing the NSO emulator for a once-rival console. What’s more, Japanese playersreceived the six-button variant instead. You can hunt down one of those if you prefer, though it’ll likely cost you.
5Exclusive My Nintendo Calendar
Okay, we’re getting a little obscure here, but on rare occasions, Nintendo Switch Online members have exclusive access to special My Nintendo Rewards. Most recently, this came in the form of anexclusive version of the company’s annual calendarreleased via that program.
Tastes will differ, but personally, I find its retro styling more aesthetically pleasing than the standard 2025 calendar that rehashes promotional art for recent games. Any rewards are also free using Platinum Points, though shipping costs $6.99 unless you check out with other items that cross the free shipping threshold. It’s possible Nintendo continues to offer rewards like this in the future, though you’ll need to keep a keen eye out as they’re barely promoted (if at all).
4Single Player DLC in99Games
Many Switch owners know aboutTetris 99and its spiritual successors, but what they may not know is that many of these games have single-player DLC available for purchase.
Tetris 99’sBig Block DLCadds CPU battles, a marathon mode, and multiple local multiplayer variants for $9.99.Pac-Man 99had a similar offering, but sadlyNintendo has made the game unavailableand thus its DLC unattainable unless you bought it during its active service period. This fate may be reason enough to pick up theTetris 99DLC if you want to keep playing its unique battle royale twist on the classic game after Nintendo inevitably takes it offline.
It’s worth noting thatF-Zero 99doesn’t have paid offline DLC at this time but regularly releases significant free content updates. If you weren’t aware of that game or have yet to get in the cockpit with it, there’s never been a better time.
3“SP” Versions of Emulated Games
Old games can be tough, and while the NSO emulators have features like save states and rewinding to ease this burden, sometimes even that isn’t enough to quell frustrations. This is whyNintendo created “SP” versions of select gamesthat provide a variety of benefits, from starting out with every ability unlocked to unlocking entire new difficulty modes.
Some SP versions are also great for veteran players since they unlock all the content from the outset, add sound tests, and can drop them into later levels immediately. It’s frankly a feature I wish Nintendo expanded upon further. As it stands, this can be an interesting new way to approach games you know by heart or a lower barrier of entry for newcomers.
2Nintendo 64 Mature 17+ App
Nintendo made the slightly confusing move of creating aseparate Nintendo 64 emulator app for M-rated games, especially when it (currently) only houses four games:Perfect Dark,Shadow Man, and the first twoTurokentries.
It’snot the best way to playsome of these games, but it’s certainly one of the most convenient. Interestingly, Japan’s version of the app also includesGoldenEye 007, while in the US, that game’s T rating from the ESRB placed it in the standard Nintendo 64 emulator app. This is all to say it’s a bit arbitrary.
You’llneed the Expansion Pass tierof Nintendo Switch Online to access this app.
1Japanese Versions of Emulator Apps
Japan’s emulator apps have exclusive and alternate versions of games not available in the West. For example, you may be surprised to find how the Japanese releases of the first twoZeldagames deviate from their overseas releases, or that the cries for a Switch release ofMother 3were heard… by Nintendo of Japan. Not to mention the extensive lineup ofFire Emblemgames that never saw release overseas.
If you’re interested in Nintendo Switch Online but consider yourself a single player, here’s whythe subscription service is still a great deal.
