Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack Release Date and Price Announced

Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack memberships will launch on Oct. 25, 2021, and will only be offered in annual subscription periods, costing $49.99 USD for an individual plan and $79.99 for a family plan for 12 months, Nintendo announced Friday.

The Expansion Pack is an optional premium upgrade that at launch, invites its Nintendo Switch Online subscribers to access all of the features of its base membership, plus a collection of nine Nintendo 64 games and 14 SEGA Genesis games, and the Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Happy Home Paradise DLC releasing on Nov. 5, 2021.

Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack Release Date and Price Announced

Aside from the new and improved features coming to the Nintendo 64 and SEGA Genesis offerings, such as suspend points, gameplay rewinds and online multiplayer, however, it seems a lot of those in the Nintendo community are skeptical about the price tag of the new offering.

In comparison, the standard Nintendo Switch Online membership costs $19.99 USD annually for an individual account and $34.99 for a family pack.

Some gripes players interested in the Expansion Plan seem to be having, as voiced on Twitter, are:

• The Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack's price increase from the base offerings is simply too high.
• The collection of Nintendo 64 and SEGA Genesis games needs to be larger (which is set to happen over time), or that other platforms (e.g. GameCube, Game Boy Advance, DS) should be included as well.
• The Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Happy Home Paradise DLC, which still requires players to own the full version of game to use and will cost $24.99 separately, is not an optional add-on.
• There are no current options to pay for the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack on a 1-month or 3-month basis.

According to prominent industry insider Emily Rogers, who often shares information about Nintendo and Nintendo-related projects, the licensing fees Nintendo is paying SEGA and other third-party companies for their games could have played a part in the expansion pack pricing.