Latest news with #SwitchGameVouchers
Metro
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Nintendo is getting rid of another way to save money on Switch games
Just as fans feared, Nintendo has announced plans to discontinue Switch Game Vouchers, although it's not quite as bad as it sounds. The launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 doesn't mean Nintendo has immediately given up on the original Switch console, as evidenced by plans to keep releasing games for it into 2026. That said, there have been signs that it's gradually becoming less of a priority. Obviously, the Switch 2's the only place you can play new exclusives like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, as well as retro GameCube games. Ahead of the Switch 2's launch, Nintendo also updated its Switch Game Vouchers to ensure they couldn't be spent on Switch 2 games and now the company plans to get rid of them altogether. As a reminder, Switch Game Vouchers are an exclusive offer for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers and essentially let you purchase any two games from this list at a slight discount of £84. These have been available since May 2019, but Nintendo has announced plans to discontinue the vouchers starting from the end of January 30, 2026. This doesn't mean any you have left will immediately become useless. Vouchers typically don't expire for a year after purchase and that will remain the case even after they're removed from sale. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. So, even if you buy a pair of vouchers on January 30, 2026, you'll still have until January 30, 2027 to use them. After January 30th, 2026, #NintendoSwitch Game Vouchers will no longer be sold. Any Game Vouchers bought will remain valid for 12 months after purchase. Switch titles will continue to be added to the Game Voucher catalogue throughout info: — Nintendo UK (@NintendoUK) July 10, 2025 Surprisingly, in its website update announcing all this, Nintendo says that it still intends to add more games to the list of examples you can purchase with game vouchers. Presumably, this will only last for another year and a half, since by the end of January 2027 any remaining vouchers will have expired and thus the scheme will be well and truly dead. This all comes after Nintendo also put an end to its Gold Points reward scheme in March, which served as another means of saving money on new Switch game purchases. More Trending At the time, it was theorised that this was a sign that Nintendo would establish a new rewards scheme for the Switch 2 era, which feels more likely now that the vouchers are on their way out as well. Nintendo hasn't officially acknowledged this though. In fact, much like the Gold Points, it hasn't given any explanation for why it's discontinuing the vouchers. This could all simply be part of Nintendo's strategy to encourage Switch 1 owners into upgrading to the Switch 2, but Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser has previously acknowledged that some people simply can't afford to make the jump. 'That's why we wanted to make the other Switch platforms available, so [people] still have an opportunity to come into our gaming universe, be a part of these characters in these worlds, and see value, if you will, in whatever rung of the platform they come in,' he said. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Nintendo Switch 2 charity auction for 'Staplegate' stapler is already at £80,000 MORE: Switch 2 owner banned for playing second-hand Switch 1 games MORE: Where to buy a Nintendo Switch 2 in the UK one month after launch
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Yahoo
Nintendo Drops Gold Points, Switch Game Vouchers for Switch 2
Nintendo's Switch 2 is less than two months away from its big reveal on April 2, but it appears Nintendo is already making some changes to its eShop in preparation for the new portable console. The company plans to eliminate two programs for its digital store that saved Switch owners some money when buying games online. The first program to be sunset is Gold Points. This was Nintendo's reward program for those who buy Switch games on the eShop. After each purchase, they receive a certain amount of Gold Points, depending on how much they purchased. For example, buying a $60 game results in $3 of Gold Points. Those points can then be used toward the next game purchased. Starting on March 24 at 9:30 p.m. PT/12:30 a.m. ET, Gold Points will no longer be earned when making purchases in the Nintendo eShop. Points will still be valid for 12 months after they're awarded, including those earned right before the cutoff. Along with the end of the Gold Points, Nintendo also updated its page about Switch Game Vouchers. This program allows customers to buy two Nintendo games from the eShop -- Splatoon 3 and Mario Kart Deluxe 8, for example -- for $100, saving $20 off the full price. What changed is that Switch Game Vouchers cannot be redeemed for games exclusive to the Switch 2. Nintendo didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on why these programs were changing. Considering the timing of these updates and their proximity to the Switch 2 reveal in April and likely a summer release for the console, it appears Nintendo wants to end these programs before the big launch, maybe to start a new Switch 2-focused reward program. It's unclear what Nintendo's plans are right now, and everyone will have to wait and see in the coming months.
