TL;DR
If your kids are begging to play Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or Splatoon 3 with their school friends, the Individual Membership ($19.99/year) is basically a required tax. If you have more than one kid (or you want to play too), the Family Membership ($34.99/year) pays for itself instantly. The Expansion Pack ($49.99 - $79.99/year) is only worth it if your family actually plays the Animal Crossing: New Horizons DLC or if you have a deep, burning nostalgia for N64 games like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Compare the different NSO tiers for your family
Nintendo Switch Online (NSO) is the subscription service for the Nintendo Switch. Think of it like a "clubhouse fee" for the internet. Without it, your Switch is mostly a solo experience. With it, the console opens up to the rest of the world.
Unlike Netflix or Disney+, it’s not just about content; it’s about functionality. It handles three main things:
- Online Multiplayer: The ability to play with or against people online.
- Cloud Saves: Backing up game data so that if your kid drops the Switch in the toilet (it happens), their 200-hour Minecraft world isn't gone forever.
- Retro Libraries: A rotating "Netflix-style" catalog of old-school games from the NES, SNES, and Game Boy eras.
For kids today, gaming is the new playground. If your 4th grader comes home saying everyone is playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate together on Friday night, they aren’t just talking about sitting on the same couch. They’re talking about a digital hang.
Without NSO, they are locked out of that social circle. It’s a bummer, but it’s the reality of 2025 digital culture. However, it’s worth noting that "Free-to-Play" games like Fortnite, Roblox, and Rocket League do not require NSO to play online. Nintendo doesn't gatekeep the games they don't own.
The Basic Membership ($19.99/year Individual | $34.99/year Family)
This is the "No-BS" tier. It gives you the essentials. If you have two or more people in the house using the Switch, get the Family Plan. It covers up to eight accounts, even if those people live in different houses (though Nintendo officially says it’s for one household, they don't police it like Netflix does).
What you get:
- Online Play: Essential for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
- Save Data Cloud: This is your insurance policy.
- Retro Games: Access to Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.
- Nintendo Music: A new 2025 perk. It’s an app for your phone that lets you stream Nintendo soundtracks. It’s surprisingly great for focus music while kids are doing homework.
The Expansion Pack ($49.99/year Individual | $79.99/year Family)
This is where Nintendo tries to upsell you. It’s significantly more expensive, and for many families, it’s honestly overkill.
What you get (and if it's worth it):
- N64 and Game Boy Advance Libraries: Great if you want to show your kids Mario Kart 64, but most kids find the older graphics "crunchy" and difficult to navigate.
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass: This adds 48 extra tracks. If your family plays Mario Kart every weekend, this is a huge value. If you don't have the Expansion Pack, you have to buy this separately for $25.
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Happy Home Paradise: A massive expansion for Animal Crossing. If your kid is obsessed with decorating houses, this is a win.
- Splatoon 3: Octo Expansion: Essential if they are deep into the Splatoon 3 lore.
Ask our chatbot if the Expansion Pack is worth it for your specific games
As we head through 2025, everyone is talking about the successor to the Switch. Nintendo has already hinted that NSO accounts will likely carry over to the new console. This makes the subscription feel more like a long-term investment rather than a dead-end purchase.
We also saw the launch of the Nintendo Playtest Program and more integration with the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls. Being a member now gives you "Platinum Points" which your kids can use to "buy" digital icons and stickers for their profiles. It’s a low-stakes way for them to customize their digital identity without you spending real money on "skins" like they do in Fortnite.
Ages 6-9: The "Safety First" Phase
At this age, the main benefit of NSO isn't the "online" part—it's the cloud saves. Kids at this age are notorious for accidentally deleting save files or dropping consoles.
- The Strategy: Get the Basic Family Plan. Keep the "Online Communication with Others" setting OFF in the Parental Controls app. They can still get the "ghost" data in Mario Kart (racing against other people's times) without actually talking to strangers.
Ages 10-13: The "Social Gaming" Phase
This is when they want to play Among Us or Minecraft with friends.
- The Strategy: You need the subscription. This is a great time to talk about "Digital Citizenship." Nintendo’s online system is notoriously clunky—there is no built-in voice chat on the console itself. Most kids end up using Discord on a phone nearby to talk while they play.
Ages 14+: The "Retro and Competitive" Phase
Teens might actually appreciate the Expansion Pack for the competitive edge in Splatoon 3 or the classic difficulty of Metroid Fusion.
- The Strategy: Let them contribute. If they want the $80 family plan so they can play N64 games, maybe they cover the $30 difference from their allowance.
Nintendo is the "overprotective grandparent" of the internet. Unlike Roblox, where a stranger can slide into your kid's DMs with ease, Nintendo makes it incredibly hard to communicate.
To talk to someone, you usually have to:
- Exchange a 12-digit "Friend Code" in real life.
- Use a separate smartphone app (Nintendo Switch Online app) for voice chat.
Because it’s so annoying, most "bad actors" don't bother with it. They go to Discord or Snapchat instead. The risk on NSO isn't "predators" as much as it is "random people being jerks in a match," which you can mostly solve by muting or restricting play to "Friends Only."
Learn more about setting up Nintendo Switch Parental Controls
The "Auto-Renewal" Trap
Nintendo defaults to auto-renewal. If you buy a one-month sub just to try it, they will charge you again next month. Pro-tip: Go into the eShop settings immediately after buying and turn off "Automatic Renewal."
The "Cloud Save" Catch
If you let your subscription lapse, Nintendo only guarantees your cloud saves for 180 days. If you don't resubscribe within six months, they might purge your data. It’s a bit of a "hostage" situation, but it's worth knowing if you plan on taking a long break from gaming.
The "Voucher" Hack
If you have NSO, you can buy "Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers." You pay $99 for two vouchers, which you can redeem for two full-priced games (like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Super Mario Bros. Wonder). Since those games are usually $60-$70 each, the NSO subscription essentially pays for itself in savings on the games you were going to buy anyway.
Is Nintendo Switch Online worth it?
- YES if your kids play Mario Kart, Pokemon Scarlet/Violet, or Splatoon.
- YES if you want the peace of mind that their Stardew Valley farm is backed up.
- NO if they only play Fortnite, Roblox, or single-player games like Princess Peach: Showtime!.
- MAYBE on the Expansion Pack. Unless you're a hardcore Nintendo family, the extra $30-$40 a year is better spent on a new indie game like Hollow Knight.
- Check the "Friend List": See who your kids are actually playing with. If the list is empty, they probably don't need the sub yet.
- Audit your DLC: If you already bought the Mario Kart 8 tracks or Animal Crossing expansion separately, the Expansion Pack loses 80% of its value for you.
- Download the App: Get the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls on your phone. It’s the best way to see exactly how much time they’re spending in these "online" worlds.
Check out our guide on the best Nintendo Switch games for families