I recently received a Switch Lite. The last handheld I’ve owned was the Nintendo DS, and the last home console was the first-gen PS1 and Xbox. The Switch ecosystem is quite a bit more complicated, so I’ve had to do a bit of research, and this post consolidates what I’ve learnt.
Accessing the eshop in Singapore
Singapore doesn’t have an associated eShop, so you have to register your account under a country that does. US or Canada are common choices.
If using the US eShop, you will be prompted for a zip code; be sure to select a state that doesn’t have sales tax. I set mine to 97220 in Portland, Oregon.
Buying games
Switch games are really expensive compared to other platforms, especially if you’re coming from the PC gaming ecosystem. Here are some tips to optimize your spending:
- Buy eShop credits locally. For example: Shopee (2022 update: Discounted credits no longer seem to be available on Shopee)
- Switch your eShop region to buy games in cheaper regions. Compare prices between regions with sites like savecoins.app, eshop-prices.com. Switch games have no region-lock; any game registered to your account will work regardless of which region it was purchased in. Some regions may not accept your country’s credit card, so your mileage may vary with this method.
- Set up price alerts on DekuDeals to notify you about deals on games you’re interested in.
- Buy physical. In Singapore, buying physical tends to be cheaper than digital.
Some eShops allow the use of Paypal, but the option may only be available on the Switch eShop interface and not on the website. I’ve found this to be the case with the US eShop. To use Paypal for your purchases, first login to Nintendo’s website, go to your account settings, and link your Paypal account. After linking your Paypal acount, make your purchase on your Switch instead.
Physical vs digital
Pros of physical games:
- Able to sell and trade. You can buy the game secondhand and resell it after you’re done with it, effectively making little to no loss.
- Able to share games. Good option to optimize spending by sharing with family and friends.
- Able to return and refund games. Nintendo has a non-existent refund policy for digital games, so if you’re on the fence about a game, buying physical is a safer bet.
- May be cheaper in certain countries (true for Singapore).
Cons of physical games:
- Less convenient. Have to swap cartridges to play different games. Have to bring cartridges around on the go.
- No patches or updates.
- Cartridges can get lost.
Generally I think a nice balance is to use digital for games you’re more likely to pick and and play in short bursts (Binding of Isaac, Slay the Spire, etc.), and to use physical for longer story-focused games. The story-focused games will likely be played exclusively and for longer periods of time, and once done can be sold or traded to recoup some of the cost.
Should you get a Switch as a PC gamer?
As a predominantly PC gamer, here are some considerations for deciding on a Switch.
- Identify Switch exclusives you’re interested in. There aren’t that many Switch exclusives, mostly just Nintendo first-party games. Many switch games are also available on PC.
- Switch games are more expensive. They’re priced higher than their PC counterparts and rarely go on sale. You’ll likely be buying from the US eShop, so you don’t get the benefit of SG regional pricing. First-party Nintendo games typically cost $60 USD and almost never go on sale; if they do they never get discounted by more than 10-20%.
- A switch is portable. This is the biggest benefit for getting a Switch if you already have a capable PC; to bring the games you love out on the go.
- Nintendo has no refund policy. Unlike Steam, the eShop does not do refunds. Combined with the high prices, buying a Switch game digitally has a fairly high element of risk, whereas on Steam there’s essentially none.
If you’re looking to play a game with your Switch docked to your TV, and the game is also available on PC, consider getting the game on PC instead and setting up Steam Link to stream to your TV instead.