If you play online on a Nintendo Switch, the cheapest way in is now ₱899 for a full year, or about ₱75 a month. Nintendo's Philippine membership page lists six peso prices for Nintendo Switch Online, and it says all of them include tax.
The service went live here on November 10, together with the Philippine eShop, Nintendo announced. Before that, Filipino players had to set their Nintendo Account to another region and pay in that region's currency. Our earlier guide on getting ready for the Philippine eShop explains the account switch. This post covers what each plan now costs and which one saves the most.
Nintendo Switch Online prices in the Philippines
| Plan | Length | Price | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Switch Online, Individual | 1 month (30 days) | ₱149 | ₱149 |
| Nintendo Switch Online, Individual | 3 months (90 days) | ₱399 | about ₱133 |
| Nintendo Switch Online, Individual | 12 months (365 days) | ₱899 | ₱74.90 |
| Nintendo Switch Online, Family (up to 8 accounts) | 12 months | ₱1,699 | ₱141.60 |
| Switch Online + Expansion Pack, Individual | 12 months | ₱1,799 | ₱149.90 |
| Switch Online + Expansion Pack, Family | 12 months | ₱3,299 | ₱274.90 |
The per-month figures for 12-month plans are Nintendo's own. The ₱133 figure for the 3-month plan is our math (₱399 ÷ 3).
Two rules matter when you choose. The Individual plan comes with a free 7-day trial. The Expansion Pack plans are sold only as 12-month memberships.
Which Nintendo Switch Online plan costs less
By our math, using Nintendo's peso prices:
- You play all year. Twelve 1-month passes cost ₱1,788 (₱149 × 12). Four 3-month passes cost ₱1,596 (₱399 × 4). The 12-month plan at ₱899 is ₱889 cheaper than paying month by month.
- Two people play in your home. Two Individual plans cost ₱1,798 (₱899 × 2). That is ₱99 more than one ₱1,699 Family plan, which covers up to eight accounts. With the Expansion Pack, two Individual plans cost ₱3,598, or ₱299 more than the ₱3,299 Family plan.
- You fill all eight Family slots. The ₱1,699 plan works out to about ₱212 per account a year (₱1,699 ÷ 8). With the Expansion Pack, it is about ₱412 each (₱3,299 ÷ 8).
- You want to upgrade later. Nintendo takes off the value of your unused days. Its own example: an Individual member with 100 days left pays ₱1,599 for the Individual Expansion Pack, which is ₱200 off the ₱1,799 price (₱2 for each remaining day). Moving from Family to Family with Expansion Pack takes off ₱4 a day. Free-trial members get no discount, and the next automatic renewal is charged at the full price.
So for one player, the 12-month Individual plan is the clear pick. For a household with two or more players, the Family plan is cheaper.
What the Expansion Pack adds for ₱900 more
The Individual Expansion Pack costs ₱900 more than the basic 12-month plan (₱1,799 − ₱899). Here is what each tier includes, according to Nintendo's membership page and its launch notice.
Every plan includes online play, GameChat (voice chat and screen sharing, on Switch 2 only), the NES, Super NES and Game Boy classics libraries, the subscriber-only games TETRIS 99 and F-ZERO 99, and the Nintendo Music app.
The Expansion Pack adds:
- Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Advance games on both Switch and Switch 2
- Nintendo GameCube games, on Switch 2 only
- The Switch 2 Edition of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom at no extra charge, if you own the Switch version
- Paid add-on content (DLC) for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Splatoon 2, if you own the game
Nintendo says these extras work only while your membership is active. The upgrade makes most sense if you already own one of those games, or if you have a Switch 2 and want the GameCube library.
How Philippine prices compare with Malaysia's
Malaysia already has the same service. Nintendo Malaysia's membership page lists the ringgit prices below. Peso figures use Wise's mid-market rate of ₱15.53 per ringgit on November 11, rounded.
| Plan | Philippines | Malaysia |
|---|---|---|
| Individual, 1 month | ₱149 | RM13 (around ₱200) |
| Individual, 3 months | ₱399 | RM33 (around ₱510) |
| Individual, 12 months | ₱899 | RM89 (around ₱1,380) |
| Family, 12 months | ₱1,699 | RM169 (around ₱2,620) |
| Expansion Pack, Individual | ₱1,799 | RM179 (around ₱2,780) |
| Expansion Pack, Family | ₱3,299 | RM319 (around ₱4,950) |
At this rate, every Philippine tier is cheaper than its Malaysian list price. The yearly Individual plan is about ₱480 lower. Exchange rates move, so treat the peso figures for Malaysia as approximate.
How to pay, and what parents should set first
Memberships are bought with Nintendo eShop funds, according to Nintendo's membership page. You can add funds with a credit card or PayPal, but Nintendo Accounts under 18 cannot use PayPal. The Family plan needs a credit card or PayPal account registered on the eShop at purchase. Nintendo's page does not list e-wallets such as GCash or Maya as a payment option.
Automatic renewal turns on when an account aged 18 or older signs up, and it can be cancelled at any time. Accounts under 18 cannot use automatic renewal.
For children, Nintendo's launch notice for parents recommends two steps. Restrict eShop purchases in the Nintendo Account settings website. Then use the Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app to set play-time limits and limit chat with other players.
