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Buy a new Switch console and get a $35 eShop gift card at some retailers

By Gabe Gurwin Published February 15, 2019

Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you haven’t picked up the Nintendo Switch yet, you’re missing out on one of the company’s best consoles ever. Typically, the system retails for $300 and comes only with the console itself, the dock, the Joy-Con controllers, and the Joy-Con Grip, but you can currently also get a free $35 eShop gift card with your purchase.

At Amazon right now, you can get the Neon Blue and Red Nintendo Switch system with the $35 of eShop credit for $300, and you’ll get free shipping with your order, even if you’re not an Amazon Prime member. Amazon also has the Gray Nintendo Switch system in stock, as well, bundled with a 64GB MicroSD card for slightly more.

If you prefer Walmart, the retailer also has the console in stock with the $35 gift card. You can get free two-day shipping at Walmart, as well, or you could pick the console up at your local story, depending on availability.

GameStop has the same bundle in stock, as well, and a selection of pre-owned Switch games are available for a discount if you’re looking to build your game collection up in a hurry. With the money you save from buying pre-owned, you can add to your eShop balance and get an additional game. Since Nintendo rarely drops the price of its consoles or offers extra incentives, this is one of the best deals you’re likely to come across.

The Nintendo Switch offers portability and flexibility that isn’t seen in other consoles or the PC, and it does it while also offering a large number of great exclusive games. Last year saw the release of the excellent Octopath Traveler and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Fire Emblem: Three Houses will be out for the system this July. Recently, the free-to-play Tetris 99 was also released on the eShop, giving Tetris fans their own bizarre battle royale experience.

The Switch is also compatible with a large number of third-party accessories to enhance your experience, whether it be with a battery case or a vertical kickstand so you can game on your kitchen table. You can even purchase cases that hold everything from the dock to the Pro Controller.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

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Pick up these 7 great Switch games before Nintendo’s big eShop sale ends

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Steam isn't the only platform holding a big summer sale. Nintendo Switch users can currently get a whole bunch of games up to 50% off on the eShop from now through July 6 in a "Big Ol' Super Sale." While gaming sales are a dime a dozen, a Nintendo sale is especially significant. The company is usually stingy when it comes to discounting its exclusives, so events like this are rare.

The list of discounted games isn't one to ignore. While it doesn't include any recent releases, like Mario Strikers: Battle League, it's a great way to get some of 2021's best console exclusives at half price. Here are the games you should grab before the sale ends. Get them this week and you can take them on your Fourth of July vacation.
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Nintendo’s eShop is currently unavailable in Russia

Nintendo Switch OLED model

Nintendo's eShop is currently down in Russia, following a decision made by the payment service used by the company to stop accepting Russia's currency, Rubles.

According to the Russian Nintendo eShop page, the eShop is currently in "maintenance mode." It doesn't seem like the decision to shut down its eShop in Russia was made by Nintendo however, but rather by another company that handles the shop's transactions. Nintendo has notably kept quiet regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine, whereas its peers in the game industry have openly taken measures to limit or entirely halt the sales of their products in Russia.

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Nintendo’s eShop closures are a necessary, but messy move

A Nintendo Wii U gamepad flat on a table.

Nintendo last week announced its intentions to shut down the Wii U and 3DS eShops, the systems' digital storefronts, in March 2023. This decision was disappointing for hardcore fans who stuck with Nintendo during that rocky era and extremely worrying as many of the games available on the platforms won't be preserved.
More significant Wii U games and a handful of 3DS titles were ported to Switch, but many titles are still stuck on those systems and can’t be ported. Once the digital storefront shutdowns, digital-only titles will be gone forever, and physical copies of these titles will get more expensive and harder to experience. Fans and game preservationists have not been pleased by this decision, with the Video Game History Foundation giving the most candid response.
https://twitter.com/GameHistoryOrg/status/1494398068346654720
Following this announcement, Digital Trends spoke to an industry analyst and game preservationists to get a better idea of what exactly caused Nintendo to shut down these stores and to learn how it could do a better job at preserving its legacy.
Why is Nintendo shutting down the 3DS and Wii eShops?
Officially, Nintendo’s FAQ on the eShop closures says “this is part of the natural life cycle for any product line as it becomes less used by consumers over time." The answer doesn’t get into specifics and might confuse those still playing games on the system or fans of games only available on Wii U or 3DS. Omdia Principal Analyst Matthew Bailey explains Nintendo’s user base argument in more detail, highlighting the massive gap between the number of people playing the Switch as opposed to the Wii U.
“While Omdia expects the number of Switch consoles in active use to exceed 90 million on a global basis this year, the Wii U’s global active installed base will drop under one million in 2022,” he explains. “Even when you include the more enduring 3DS family of consoles into the equation, the Switch still comfortably accounts for over 90% of Nintendo’s total active console install base.”
If one is going off just the numbers, it’s sensible that Nintendo would want to focus on the majority of its players. Bailey admits that “Switch users are already reaping the benefits of Nintendo’s singular first-party development focus on one platform.” Still, one might argue that Nintendo should just let the eShops remain up even if it isn’t actively updating or maintaining them.

Unfortunately, Nintendo doesn’t see that as possible due to cost and security issues. Game Over Thrity, a Twitter user with over 20 years of experience working on IT projects and infrastructure, shed some light on what might have influenced Nintendo’s decision-making in a thread.
“As these systems age, they require patches, security, special contracts, updates, and personnel that know how they were built (and maintained),” his Twitter thread explains. “As time goes on, there are security holes, servers, code, infrastructure, etc., that can’t be brought up to modern standards. It becomes a constant struggle between maintaining legacy systems, paying people to do so, and trying to keep up with global regulations. It’s not cheap by any means. They can’t just ‘leave the lights on’ and stop supporting them. What if someone hacked the payment processor?”
With every passing year, the Wii U and 3DS eShops likely became more expensive to maintain and an increased security risk for the video game publisher. Instead of investing the time and resources into pleasing a smaller amount of players, the easier option is to turn everything off entirely. While he isn’t affiliated with Nintendo, Game Over Thirty’s assessment aligns with what we’ve heard from Nintendo and Omdia.
"The Wii U’s global active installed base will drop under one million in 2022."