Nintendo will discontinue its Switch Game Vouchers scheme, which currently allows Nintendo Switch Online subscribers to buy Switch 1 games at a discount.
Detailing its plans in a lengthy FAQ page published today, the company said Switch Game Vouchers would be ditched as of January 30, 2026 — meaning fans still have six months should they still wish to buy more.
No reason has been given for the scheme's ending, though it follows Nintendo's decision not to allow vouchers to be redeemed for Switch 2 software, and after the launch of Nintendo's first-ever $80 game, Mario Kart World.
Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers were first introduced in 2019, and offer a flat purchase price for two Nintendo Switch games bought within a 12-month period. In the UK, this price is set at £84, meaning you pay an average of £42 for a game.
This typically represents an £8 saving per game from the standard £50 Switch game RRP — and an even greater saving on the select games that Nintendo prices at £60: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
And while Nintendo has not extended the scheme to Switch 2 games, fans have realised they can still use vouchers to buy the original, Switch 1 versions of games with paid Switch 2 upgrades, such as Zelda: Breath of the Wild, offering a cheaper method of obtaining those too.
For example, Switch 2 owners can currently buy a pair of Switch Game Vouchers and redeem them to play cross-generational games such as Metroid Prime: Beyond, or the upcoming Pokémon Legends: Z-A, which is due for launch in October. Z-A is priced at the usual £50 for Switch 1, or £60 for its Switch 2 Edition. Buy it using a Game Voucher, and you can still get the £8 saving for Z-A's Switch 1 edition, before simply paying the £10 upgrade fee to access the Switch 2 Edition.
As ever, Switch Game Vouchers must be redeemed within 12 months after purchase, though Nintendo has said that additional Switch titles will continue to be added to the Game Voucher catalogue throughout 2026.
Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa recently suggested that the company was now exploring shorter game development cycles for some projects to help keep its costs down, and avoid pricing games too highly.
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
