Ahead of the Nintendo Switch 2's launch, Nintendo has announced some pretty major changes which could make buying Switch games more expensive.
Thanks to the Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers listing on Nintendo.com, we know that you won't be able to redeem Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers for Switch 2 exclusives.
That's bad news, especially seeing as Nintendo has also announced it is bringing the My Nintendo Gold Points rewards system to an end next month.
Per an announcement on the My Nintendo website, Nintendo has confirmed that the ability to earn Gold Points will come to an end on March 24, 2025, at 9.30 pm PDT. This change will affect the Nintendo eShop and purchases made via the Nintendo website.
You also won't be able to redeem Gold Points from any physical Nintendo Switch Game Cards if the title in question was released after March 24, 2025.
What does this mean for you?
Basically, this means it just got a little bit more expensive to buy all the best Nintendo Switch games.
It's not entirely clear why the changes have been implemented, but to me, the change to Game Vouchers indicates that Switch 2 games (like that new Mario Kart we saw in the Switch 2 announcement video) may well be more expensive than titles from the original Switch library.
Given Nintendo doesn't typically discount most of its first-party releases, the Gold Points scheme coming to an end also removes one of the only reliable ways to shave a few bucks off the cost of a new game.
Unless you were a prolific collector, you probably didn't rack up thousands of Gold Points — but saving any money is always better than saving nothing.
My advice? Seeing as you can still earn Gold Points from now until the cut-off point, it might be a good time to pick up some new games on the Nintendo eShop.
Nintendo has explained that you will still be able to redeem any leftover Gold Points, within their normal terms (they're valid for 12 months from the date they're earned).
How do these schemes work?
If you don't spend too much time (or money) on the eShop, we'll break both schemes down here.
Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers are exclusive to paid Nintendo Switch Online members. Switch owners can purchase a set of two vouchers for $99.98/£84, and then use them to redeem titles from the eligible list.
Vouchers are valid for 12 months from purchase and mean you can get two Switch games for a slightly lower price than you would if you were to buy the two titles separately.
Gold Points, meanwhile, are earned when customers make an eligible digital purchase — or redeem a download code or an eligible physical cartridge on their Switch system — and can be used on the eShop to get money off future purchases of digital games or downloadable content.
They were awarded based on 5% of the total amount you paid when purchasing eligible content. Each Gold Point was worth 1 cent, so 250 Points would take $2.50 off the price of an eShop purchase, for example.
A more comprehensive explanation is available on the My Nintendo website.
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