Nintendo Switch: buy games cheaper in another country

Saving money on buying Nintendo Switch games through online stores in other countries is quite simple. But there are a few things to consider.

Due to currency fluctuations, it can be advantageous to shop overseas for great deals, and one of the best places to save money on games is Nintendo eShop. It is very easy to access games, demos or other content by changing the country. And since the Nintendo Switch isn’t tied to a country, it’s a lot easier. Depending on the games you buy, you can save a lot, depending on public prices and exchange rates.

How much can you earn from Nintendo games?

It depends on exchange rates and the game. You can find third-party or indie games for next to nothing, but Nintendo rarely lists its own games for sale at bargain prices, let alone on the webshop. Luckily, you can get them cheaper elsewhere.

As examples, consider some of the popular games released by Nintendo. At exchange rates at the time of writing, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild typically sells for $60 on the US online store, while it costs “only”7,678 yen ($53) on the Japanese online store, and the Brazilian version — 231.89. Brazilian reals ($55.63).

Meanwhile, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is also $60 on the US online store, but AU$79.95 ($51.37), £50 ($53.56) in the UK and 6,500 yen ($44.87)) in Japan.

Super Mario Odyssey, $60 from North America online store, is just 6,578 yen ($45.51) in Japan, AU$79.95 ($51.37) and £49.99 ($53. $56) in the UK.

You can check the current prices of all games at eshop-prices.com, a great resource for finding the lowest prices for games in an online store.

Is there a trap?

You can save a few dollars by doing this, but there are a few downsides to keep in mind. More importantly, the games are localized according to the country of purchase, with all the ensuing consequences: for example, Kebek instead of French, and some languages ​​are not necessarily available, be it audio or subtitles. This may be perfectly acceptable for some games, but when dialogue and text are important, it’s more difficult. And just because your Switch can actually play a game from any country, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should.

Likewise, some online features may not work if your IP address is not in the game’s country of origin, and you won’t even be able to use them through a proxy connection or VPN. Please research carefully before purchasing games.

Another problem that may arise is related to the payment itself. Some cards do not work abroad. So you have to look for workarounds. The easiest way is to buy credits in the online store in the currency of the country. Sites like Play Asia, eShop-Prices, and the Nintendo Life Code Store are great resources.