Nintendo has released a new FAQ for the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack., detailing aspects about the service, such as pricing, what’s included, switching plans, the N64 and SEGA Genesis controllers, games that are coming and more.
When will Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack become available, and how much will it cost?
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack will launch on Oct. 25, 2021.
A 12-Month Individual Membership to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack is $49.99 USD. A 12-Month Family Membership is $79.99 USD and can be used by up to eight Nintendo Account holders.
What is included with a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership? Why does it cost what it does?
For only $49.99 USD for an entire year (just over $4 a month), a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership includes libraries of classic Nintendo 64 and SEGA Genesis games with added online play, access to the Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise DLC at no additional cost, and all the benefits of a Nintendo Switch Online membership. These include online play and save data cloud backup for compatible Nintendo Switch games, classic NES and Super NES game collections with added online play, exclusive special offers and more.
The full list of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack benefits includes:
- Online play and save data cloud backup for compatible Nintendo Switch games.
- Access to four classic game collections — Nintendo 64, SEGA Genesis, Super NES and NES — totaling over 130 titles, with more on the way, all with added online play!
- Access to the Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise DLC at no additional cost.
- Special offers such as the online multiplayer games PAC-MAN 99 and Tetris 99, in-game bonus items for select games, the option to purchase replica controllers for each classic game collection and limited-time game trials where members can download and play a full Nintendo Switch game at no additional charge.
- Voice chat and special features for select games via the Nintendo Switch Online app.
For more information on both Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack and Nintendo Switch Online, visit https://www.nintendo.com/switch/online-service.
Will it be possible to change from a Nintendo Switch Online membership to a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership? Will there be a discount for doing so?
It will be possible to change from an individual Nintendo Switch Online membership to an individual or family Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership, or from a family Nintendo Switch Online membership to a family Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership.
Those who do so will receive a discount on their new membership determined by the number of days remaining on their current membership, up to the price of the new membership.
Is it possible to change from a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership to a Nintendo Switch Online membership?
It is not possible to change from an active Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership to a Nintendo Switch Online membership. However, once the membership term ends, the user is free to choose any membership plan at that time.
Is it possible to change only one Nintendo Account on a Family Plan to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack?
No. Individual users on a Family Plan cannot be changed to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. But after purchasing a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack 12-Month Family Membership for $79.99, up to eight Nintendo Account holders can use it.
Will it still be possible to purchase a Nintendo Switch Online membership without the new benefits?
Yes, it will still be possible to purchase an individual or family membership to Nintendo Switch Online without the additional benefits of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. For details on features and pricing of Nintendo Switch Online, visit https://www.nintendo.com/switch/online-service/.
In what regions will Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack be available?
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack will be offered everywhere that Nintendo Switch Online is available.
This includes the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Peru.
Is it possible to only subscribe to the Expansion Pack content and not the base Nintendo Switch Online membership?
No, the additional content is only available with a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership.
Is a free trial available for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack?
One free, seven-day trial of the Nintendo Switch Online service is available per Nintendo Account, through Nintendo eShop. The free trial does not include any content exclusive to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack.
If I have an individual Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership, can it be used by other user profiles on my Nintendo Switch?
As with a Nintendo Switch Online membership, each Nintendo Account needs an Individual Membership or needs to be part of a Family Membership to access Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack benefits.
What classic Nintendo 64 games will launch with the service? Which others will come later?
Nine Nintendo 64 games will launch with Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack in late October. These games are:
- Dr. Mario 64
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- Mario Kart 64
- Mario Tennis
- Sin & Punishment
- Star Fox 64
- Super Mario 64
- WinBack
- Yoshi’s Story
Some of the Nintendo 64 games coming to the collection in the future include:
- Banjo-Kazooie
- F-Zero X
- Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
- Mario Golf
- Paper Mario
- Pokémon Snap
- The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
What classic SEGA Genesis games will launch with the service? Which others will come later?
Fourteen SEGA Genesis games will launch with Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack in late October. These games are:
- Castlevania: Bloodlines
- Contra: Hard Corps
- Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine
- Ecco the Dolphin
- Golden Axe
- Gunstar Heroes
- M.U.S.H.A
- Phantasy Star IV
- Ristar
- Shining Force
- Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2
- Streets of Rage 2
- Strider
More games will be added to the SEGA Genesis collection in the future, but we aren’t announcing any specific titles at this time.
How often will more games be added to each collection? Will the releases be on a regular schedule, such as monthly?
There is no set schedule for new releases, but each collection will continue to grow.
Will more games continue to be added to the existing NES and Super NES collections?
Yes, more games will be added to the NES and Super NES collections that are available with both the Nintendo Switch Online and Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack memberships.
Will Nintendo 64 and SEGA Genesis games be playable online?
Yes, games in the Nintendo 64 and SEGA Genesis collections will be playable online.
For Nintendo 64 games that originally supported four players, will it be possible for four players to play locally or online?
Yes, games that originally supported four players can be played that way both locally and online. When playing online, each Nintendo Switch system supports one player.
Additional systems and/or some accessories may be required and are sold separately.
How does the online functionality work for games in the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack classic collections?
- If the game originally had any kind of multiplayer features, those features will work online.
- Friends can even watch each other play single-player games online and virtually “pass the controller” at any time. You can display a hand-shaped cursor on your friend’s screen and use it to give hints or point out strategic points. You can even clap to congratulate them.
- Voice chat is supported for all games in the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack game collections via the smartphone app.
Will the classic games allow matchmaking with random players?
Games in the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack collections feature online play with friends only.
Can these classic games be played while offline?Yes, but users must have an active Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership and regularly verify their membership by connecting online.
It will be possible to play games in the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack collections up to seven consecutive days without connecting online.
Can voice chat be used while playing these classic games online?
The Nintendo Switch Online app can be used for voice chat while playing any of the games in the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack collections online, even if the original game didn’t support multiplayer.Some Nintendo Switch Online app features, including voice chat, are restricted to Nintendo Account holders age 13 and over.
Can I purchase or subscribe to the Nintendo 64 or Sega Genesis collections of games separately?
No. The Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis collections of games are exclusive benefits of the new Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership plans.
Do you need a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack or Nintendo Switch Online membership to purchase the Nintendo 64 controller? Is there a per-person purchase limit, and will the controller work with other kinds of games?
Anyone with either a Nintendo Switch Online or Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership can purchase the Nintendo 64, SEGA Genesis, Super NES or NES controllers for the Nintendo Switch system.
There is a purchase limit of up to four of each controller type per Nintendo Account.
These controllers are optional and not required to play these collections of games.
Please note that a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership is required to play games in the Nintendo 64 collection.
Have the new controllers changed at all from their original designs? Do they have any new functionality?
Unlike the original Nintendo 64 controller, this version is wireless and charged via USB Type-C connector. It includes a Capture Button for taking game photos, a Sync Button, HOME Button, ZR Button, Player LED and Recharge LED, plus a built-in rumble feature instead of the optional Rumble Pak that could be used with the original Nintendo 64 controller.
Can this controller be used with other Nintendo Switch software besides Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Switch Online games?
The Nintendo 64 controller was designed for use with Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Switch Online. Compatibility with other games is not guaranteed.
How can I buy these controllers? Are they a limited-time offer?
The controllers will be available only at store.nintendo.com for $49.99 USD/$64.99 CAD each (plus shipping and tax) and can be purchased by any paid Nintendo Switch Online or Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack member in the U.S. or Canada. (Nintendo Switch Online free trial members are not eligible to purchase.)
Please note that a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership is required to play games in the Nintendo 64 collection.
There is a purchase limit of up to four controllers of the same type per Nintendo Account.
Nintendo eShop funds cannot be used to purchase.
The controllers are not a limited-time offer.
When will the controllers be available? Can they be pre-purchased? Will they be impacted by the recent widespread shipping delays?
The Nintendo 64 controller is temporarily out of stock. Additional controllers will be available in late October.
Orders for the Nintendo 64 style controller will begin to ship in late October.
We do not currently expect the Nintendo 64 controller to be significantly impacted by shipping delays.
Will the Nintendo 64 controller be available in different colors?
The Nintendo 64 controller only comes in the gray color of the original controller that launched with the system in 1996.
Will Joy-Con controllers support the rumble feature for Nintendo 64 games that originally worked with the Nintendo 64 Rumble Pak?
Yes, Joy-Con controllers will support the rumble feature for any Nintendo 64 games that originally included it.
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack launches Monday, October 25.