Nintendo Switch Online is Nintendo's paid service for online features. Here's whether you need it for your Switch 2.
The short answer:
If you want to play games online with other people, yes. If you only play single-player games, no.
What it costs:
Basic: $20/year individual, $35/year for a family of up to 8. Expansion Pack: $50/year individual, $80/year for a family.
What basic gets you:
Online multiplayer in games like Mario Kart World, Splatoon, Pokemon. Cloud save backups. A library of NES and SNES games.
What Expansion Pack adds:
Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis, and GameCube games (GameCube is Switch 2 only). DLC for Animal Crossing, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon 2. Switch 2 upgrade packs for Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
What you DON'T need it for:
Single-player games offline. Buying from the eShop. Free-to-play games like Fortnite and Rocket League online.
Already have a membership?
It works on Switch 2. Just sign in with your Nintendo Account.
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How we researched this
Where this comes from: this answer draws on the product's published specifications and the reviews ShopSavvy collected for it, alongside prices from 2 retailers in ShopSavvy's price data, most recently seen Sep 26, 2026.
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