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Nintendo Switch Online Family Membership: What It Covers, Costs, and How to Set It Up

Nintendo Switch Online Family Membership covers up to eight Nintendo Accounts in a family group. Compare the US annual prices, benefits, setup steps, and plan-change caveats.
Length4 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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Nintendo Switch Online Family Membership applies one paid plan to Nintendo Accounts in a family group, covering up to eight accounts total. It does not automatically cover every profile on a shared console: each person must be in the purchaser’s Nintendo Account family group. In the United States, a 12-month family plan costs $34.99 for standard Nintendo Switch Online or $79.99 for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack; prices differ by country.

What is Nintendo Switch Online Family Membership?

It is a group subscription for Nintendo Accounts in the purchaser’s Nintendo Account family group. The purchaser can be any member of that group, not just its administrator, and must be at least 18. The membership can cover up to eight accounts total, including the purchaser’s account.

Members can use the service on the same compatible console or on different compatible consoles. A console’s local user profiles are not enough on their own: the Nintendo Accounts associated with those profiles must belong to the covered family group. Nintendo describes the offer as sharing a membership with up to seven other members on its family-membership page.

How much does a Family Membership cost?

Nintendo Support’s Americas pricing, reviewed in 2026, lists these US prices for 12 months. Nintendo says price depends on country and subscription duration, so check the price shown for your Nintendo Account’s region before buying.

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#1 Best Overall
Nintendo Switch Online 12-Month Individual Membership [Digital Code]
  • Enjoy a curated library of 70+ classic Super NES and NES games. You can compete (or cooperate) online with friends, share your screen, or virtually pass the controller, depending on the game.
  • Access a collection of Game Boy games to play anytime, anywhere!
  • In addition to the game data regularly saved to your system, you’ll have online backup. This makes it easy to retrieve your game data if you lose your system or start using a new one.
  • Enhance your online experience with the Nintendo Switch Online app. For example, you can use voice chat with players in compatible games.
Plan US price for 12 months What the family price means per person
Nintendo Switch Online Family Membership $34.99 USD At eight members, the arithmetic works out to less than $5 per person for the year. With fewer members, the per-person cost is higher.
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack Family Membership $79.99 USD At eight members, the arithmetic works out to about $10 per person for the year. With fewer members, the per-person cost is higher.

The per-person figures are calculations using the full eight-account limit, not separate prices offered by Nintendo. See Nintendo Support’s membership pricing information for the listed US prices and regional guidance.

What does each plan include?

Standard Nintendo Switch Online

The standard plan includes online multiplayer in supported games, Save Data Cloud for supported games, access to Nintendo Classics libraries, Nintendo Music, and special offers. These benefits are not universal across every title or feature: online play and cloud saves depend on compatibility, and apps or other functions may have their own device and availability requirements. Nintendo’s membership overview lists the current benefits.

Rank #2
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack 12-month Individual Membership – [Digital Code]
  • Library of classic Nintendo 64 games
  • Collection of classic and colorful Game Boy Advance games
  • All Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass* content as released
  • Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Happy Home Paradise DLC *
  • Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion*

Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack

Expansion Pack includes standard membership benefits plus additional classic-game libraries and select downloadable content at no additional charge while the account remains eligible. Included DLC requires the relevant full game, and availability can depend on the system. Nintendo’s included-content list can change, so check the current membership overview before choosing the plan for a particular game or DLC item.

Does it work on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2?

Nintendo Switch Online supports Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, but not every feature works on both systems. Nintendo identifies GameChat and Nintendo GameCube – Nintendo Classics as Switch 2-specific features; GameCube classics require Expansion Pack. These are device and plan distinctions, not benefits available to every member on every console. Check Nintendo’s current feature overview for compatibility details.

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Rank #3
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack 12-month Family Membership – [Digital Code]
  • Library of classic Nintendo 64 games
  • Collection of classic and colorful Game Boy Advance games
  • All Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass* content as released
  • Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Happy Home Paradise DLC *
  • Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion*

How do you add people to the family group?

  1. The family-group administrator signs in at accounts.nintendo.com.
  2. Open “Family group,” then select “Add a member.”
  3. Choose “Invite someone to your family group” and enter the email address associated with that person’s Nintendo Account.
  4. The invited person accepts the invitation. Once they are in the family group, the membership can apply to their account.

Nintendo provides these instructions on its family-membership page.

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What happens when the membership renews or you change plans?

Nintendo’s US service pages say memberships auto-renew at the then-current price unless canceled or auto-renewal is turned off. Check the renewal setting on the account and the price currently shown for your region before the renewal date; a future term may cost more or less than the one you bought. See Nintendo’s service page for current terms.

Rank #4
Nintendo Switch Online Family Membership 12 Month - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]
  • Online Play – Battle it out or cooperate with players online in compatible games like Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Invite friends to your in-game island or visit theirs in Animal Crossing: New Horizons!
  • NES and Super NES - Nintendo Switch Online – Enjoy a curated library of 70+ classic Super NES and NES games. You can compete (or cooperate) online with friends, share your screen, or virtually pass the controller, depending on the game. With the Nintendo Switch Online smartphone app, you can also voice chat during your play sessions in compatible games.
  • Access a collection of Game Boy games to play anytime, anywhere! Face off against Wario in Super Mario Land 2 - 6 Golden Coins and thwart an intergalactic menace in Metroid II - Return of Samus as you revisit (or discover) these classics games.
  • Save Data Cloud* – In addition to the game data regularly saved to your system, you’ll have online backup. This makes it easy to retrieve your game data if you lose your system or start using a new one.
  • Smartphone app – Enhance your online experience with the Nintendo Switch Online app. For example, you can use voice chat with players in compatible games. In addition, the app gives players of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Splatoon 2 access to special game-enhancing features.

Do not assume you can combine existing individual membership time with a family plan by simply adding the durations together. Nintendo Support describes remaining-time discounts for some changes, including certain individual-to-family or standard-to-Expansion Pack purchases, while other changes follow different rules. Its support FAQ says an active Expansion Pack membership cannot simply be changed down to standard mid-term. Check the displayed adjustment and the instructions for your specific plan and purchase route before switching: Nintendo Support’s membership and plan-change guidance.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1
Nintendo Switch Online 12-Month Individual Membership [Digital Code]
Nintendo Switch Online 12-Month Individual Membership [Digital Code]
Access a collection of Game Boy games to play anytime, anywhere!
$19.99
Bestseller No. 2
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack 12-month Individual Membership – [Digital Code]
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack 12-month Individual Membership – [Digital Code]
Library of classic Nintendo 64 games; Collection of classic and colorful Game Boy Advance games
$49.88
Bestseller No. 3
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack 12-month Family Membership – [Digital Code]
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack 12-month Family Membership – [Digital Code]
Library of classic Nintendo 64 games; Collection of classic and colorful Game Boy Advance games
$79.88
Bestseller No. 5
Nintendo Switch Online Physical Gift Card - $19.99
Nintendo Switch Online Physical Gift Card - $19.99
Access a collection of Game Boy games to play anytime, anywhere!; Redemption: Online; No returns or refunds on gift cards
$19.99
Best Value
Nintendo Switch Online Physical Gift Card - $19.99
  • Enjoy a curated library of 70+ classic Super NES and NES games. You can compete (or cooperate) online with friends, share your screen, or virtually pass the controller, depending on the game.
  • Access a collection of Game Boy games to play anytime, anywhere!
  • In addition to the game data regularly saved to your system, you’ll have online backup. This makes it easy to retrieve your game data if you lose your system or start using a new one.
  • Enhance your online experience with the Nintendo Switch Online app. For example, you can use voice chat with players in compatible games.
  • Redemption: Online

How to decide whether the family plan is worth it

  • Count the accounts, not the consoles. Only accounts in the family group are covered. A shared console does not automatically make every profile eligible.
  • Compare the total price with your actual group size. The low per-person examples apply only when all eight places are used; divide the annual total by the number of accounts that will join.
  • Choose the tier around the benefits members will use. Expansion Pack costs more and adds classic libraries and select DLC. Confirm the particular content and system compatibility that matter to your group.
  • Check renewal and switching terms before purchasing. The renewal price can change, and treatment of unused time depends on the plans and purchase path.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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