Finally got a Nintendo Switch and want to get online? Here's my ...

Congrats, you're about to dive into the wonderful world of handheld gaming with the Nintendo Switch! If you're stuck when it comes to understanding all the different kinds of Nintendo Switch Online (NSO) membership tiers on offer, don't worry. It can be daunting figuring out what each different tier of online membership does and exactly how much it'll cost you. But that's what I'm here for – to bring together and explain all your options in one place, without any vagaries.

When it comes down to it, there are two main membership types: Individual, for solo Switch users; and Family, which gives up to eight accounts access to the Nintendo Online membership service. There's also a 12-month Expansion Pack that can be added to either membership option. This comes with loads of goodies to keep you amused on top of the standard benefits that NSO brings.

Individual Nintendo Switch Online membership can be purchased as yearly subscriptions in the US, and in one-, three-, or twelve-month packs for those in the UK. It gives a single Nintendo account the ability to game online, as well as store saves in the cloud. It grants access to the Switch Online smartphone app to use voice chat and other special features for certain games too.

It also grants access to a library of more than 100 NES, Super NES, and GameBoy games, alongside member-only offers, exclusive games, game trials, apps, and physical products that are only available to members.

As for Nintendo Switch Online Family membership, you gain all the same benefits outlined above, but for up to eight different accounts.

With a Family membership, you can only purchase in a 12-month block. Incredibly, paying for the full year in advance for eight accounts actually works out cheaper than paying per month for a single account. You're essentially getting eight NSO memberships for less than the price of two yearly Individual memberships.

With both Family and Individual membership, you have the option to add the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack, though the Expansion Pack can only be purchased 12 months at a time.

The Nintendo Switch Online Expansion pack gives users access to an archive of classic Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, and Sega Genesis (Sega Megadrive for Europeans) Games. 

On top of tha,t you get a bunch of expansions for top games, including the entire Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass with 48 remastered Mario Kart courses, Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Happy Home Paradise, and more. 

With your Nintendo account, you also have the option to activate a seven-day free trial so you can see if Nintendo Switch Online is worth it before you commit to a full membership. While you can access the majority of standard NSO apps and services, you won't be able to purchase classic controllers during the free trial.

Once the trial period is over you can't activate a free trial again on the same account. 

For the best Nintendo Switch Online deals side by side for easy comparison, check out the greatest offers near you on each tier below.

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Katie Wickens has been writing about games and tech for over four years. Having earned a Masters in Games at university she's been picking them apart (to exhaustion) ever since. She learned to analyze - and often break - technology as a Hardware writer for PC Gamer. She now spends her days revisiting her old haunt, with reviews, guides, features, and news found at TechRadar, GamesRadar+, IGN, T3, Dicebreaker, Senet, and loads of other publications.

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