Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack gets release date after pricing backlash

Four very different reactions to the online expansion’s price (Pic: Nintendo)

Shortly after announcing how much it will cost, Nintendo has shared a release date for the Switch’s online expansion.

Only a few days ago, Nintendo announced pricing details for the upcoming Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack, although strangely no release date. The lack of a date suggested that that detail wouldn’t be shared for a while longer, but now Nintendo has confirmed that it will launch in just over a week’s time.

Specifically, it will be available from October 26. Why this wasn’t announced alongside the price is anyone’s guess, but at least it’s coming out before the end of the month, as Nintendo originally promised.

As a reminder, for £34.99 a year (£54.99 for family memberships), the online expansion provides all the benefits of a standard subscription plus access to a library of Nintendo 64 and Sega Mega Drive games, plus the Happy Home Paradise DLC for Animal Crossing: New Horizons (which you can also buy separately).

For whatever reason, Nintendo is only offering yearly subscriptions, so there’s no option to purchase the online expansion for only a month or three. You must commit to a full year.

Considering the price of a single membership is double what the standard online service costs, the news hasn’t sat well with fans, despite the addition of Nintendo 64 games being something that has been long in demand.

At least 55,000 people disliked the video announcement on Nintendo’s official YouTube channel. By comparison, 15,000 liked it. Responses online suggest that the pricing is only pushing people into considering emulating or pirating the games instead.

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There are also demands for people to not pay for the online expansion in order to force Nintendo to lower the price. But this seems unlikely since there are still plenty of people willing to pay for it.

Alongside the pricing announcement, Nintendo also opened pre-orders for its Nintendo 64 wireless controller. Pre-orders are already sold out so there’s certainly demand for that, even though it costs £5 more than an online expansion subscription. The Mega Drive wireless controller still lacks a release date.

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