Nintendo Switch users have less than three weeks to purchase Game Vouchers to redeem them on specific games, as the company has reminded players that Game Vouchers cannot be purchased after January 30th. However, any Game Vouchers purchased before the deadline are still valid for up to one year on select Nintendo Switch games.
In short, Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers allow users to save money on some first-party titles. Vouchers are valued at $100 per pair and require an active Nintendo Switch Online membership to purchase and use. By redeeming the vouchers for two $60 Nintendo Switch titles, this effectively saves users $10 per game compared to buying them at their usual prices. However, Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers do not work at all on Switch 2 games. This means users can still use Game Vouchers for original Switch games that have upgrades to the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, including Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokemon Legends: ZAand then purchase the update packages separately.
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Nintendo Switch users are running out of time to buy game vouchers
While Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers can only be used on specific Nintendo eShop titles, users don't have much time to buy more. On Friday, January 9th, Nintendo began emailing users to remind them that after Friday, January 30th at 11:59 PM PT, Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers can no longer be purchased. The recall comes months after Nintendo announced in July 2025 that the Game Voucher program was ending. Although game vouchers cannot be used for Nintendo Switch 2 games, any existing vouchers can still be used within 12 months of purchase. Therefore, any Nintendo Switch game vouchers purchased on January 30 before the end of purchases can be redeemed for the rest of 2026 and into 2027.
This means that with the end of Nintendo Switch game vouchers, the list of eligible Switch titles that can be bought with them is unlikely to change. Crossover users shouldn't expect upcoming titles like Pokemon10th game generation that can be purchased with game vouchers at all. Without the Game Voucher program, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 users would be left without a reliable way to purchase first-party Nintendo titles at a discount for the foreseeable future. Nintendo users should be on the lookout for possible discounts on physical or digital games.
The game of death vouchers have unfortunate timing
The impending demise of the Nintendo Switch Game Voucher program comes at a potentially bad time for Nintendo and its customers. With the ongoing DRAM crisis affecting the prices of various PC components, it is looming that the price of video game consoles will follow sometime in 2026. Although the price of the Nintendo Switch 2 has remained at $449 since its launch in June 2025, the lack of RAM may cause Nintendo to increase the MSRP of its latest console. Nintendo previously raised the prices of the original Switch console and some Switch 2 peripherals in response to US government tariffs on various goods. With Nintendo having lackluster sales during the 2025 Christmas shopping season, the Switch 2 price hike, along with the end of game vouchers, could shake consumer confidence. It remains to be seen if or when Nintendo will adjust the price of the Switch 2 games and consoles in light of the ongoing RAM shortage, though the situation is not in sight.
Meanwhile, Nintendo Switch Online subscribers can still use features not available elsewhere, including the GameCube app on Switch 2 with titles like Fire Emblem: Path of Shining and Luigi's mansion. As Nintendo adds more classic titles to its Switch Online repertoire, time will tell what surprises the gaming giant has planned to take the sting that the loss of Game Vouchers will inevitably bring.
