Nintendo Switch

Table of contents

Accessing the eshop in SG

SG doesn’t have an associated eShop, so you have to register your account under a country that does, such as the US. 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 use the zipcode from my ComGateway address: 97220 in Portland, OR.

Buying games

Switch games are really expensive compared to other platforms, and PC in particular. Here are some tips to optimize your spending:

Buy eShop credits locally. For example: Shopee (roughly 10% off)
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.

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 go to your Nintendo account settings on the website and link your Paypal account to it. Next 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 SG).

Cons of physical games:

Less convenient. Have to swap cartridges to play different games. Have to bring around cartridges if playing on the go.
No patches or updates.
Cartridges can get lost (to be fair, you can lose access to your Nintendo account too).

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. These 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 I get a switch as a PC gamer?

As a predominantly PC gamer, here are some considerations for choosing 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 expensive. They’re priced higher than their PC counterparts and rarely go on sale. The eShop has little to no regional pricing (and for SG there’s none). First-party Nintendo games typically cost $60 USD and almost never go on sale; if they do they never drop 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.
Non-existent refund policy for digital games. 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.

Accessories

Wireless adapters: 8bitdo, mayflash
Controllers: 8bitdo SN30 Pro+, or just reuse the PS/XBOX controller you have lying around
Grips: Zengrip Go