While we’re all now waiting for that Nintendo Switch 2 Direct that’s coming up in April, having had ample time to watch the console spin about a bit in that official reveal, here’s some stuff worth being aware of if you’re a current or future Switcher.
Nintendo has announced some updates to its Switch Game Vouchers and eShop Gold Points schemes, with the latter being something you’ll be unable to earn once March 25 hits.
I’ll start off with what’s happening to Gold Points, since you might be anxious about the stash of them you’ve amassed by buying a bunch of eShop games over the years. Basically, they’re being discontinued.
“From March 25, 2025, customers will no longer earn Gold Points when making digital purchases from Nintendo eShop and the official Nintendo website, or by redeeming download codes,” Nintendo wrote in a handy post that should go through all the main stuff you’ll need to know. It outlined that: “Pre-orders for digital titles from Nintendo eShop or the official Nintendo website made up to and including March 24, 2025, will still earn Gold Points regardless of the game’s release date, even if the payment is processed after March 24.”
Meanwhile, it added: “Gold Points can still be earned by registering physical Game Cards from the HOME Menu of a Nintendo Switch console, as long as the title has been released by March 24, 2025. If a title is released after that date, Gold Points cannot be earned.” The good news is that you’ll still have the usual year to redeem any Gold Points you’ve not used before they expire, since they’ll continue to be “valid for 12 months from the date of being earned” regardless of this winding down.
Right, now on to the Switch Game Vouchers, which you’ve been able to use to buy a pair of Switch games at once for a cheaper price for a while now. This one’s much snappier – Nintendo’s just added a note to its website page about them which specifies that “Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers cannot be redeemed for Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive games”.
How do you feel about these changes/updates to the process of buying Switch or Switch 2 games? Let us know below!