The day Nintendo fans in the Philippines have been waiting for is finally here. The Nintendo eShop and Nintendo Switch Online services for the original Switch and Switch 2 are officially live in the country.
We anticipated this, and as we warned in our previous coverage, this launch brings a couple of big changes to how we buy our games.
First, the good news: Regional pricing has arrived. Browsing the newly minted storefront, you’ll notice that game prices are generally cheaper compared to the United Ststes and other Western markets. Nintendo has tailored the costs to the local economy, meaning your pesos go much further when building out your Switch library. Just look at the price difference for these Switch and Switch 2 releases:
| Game Title | Platform | eShop U.S. Price | eShop PH Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | Switch | $59.99 | ₱2,990 |
| The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom | Switch | $69.99 | ₱3,490 |
| Final Fantasy Resonance | Switch | $59.99 | ₱2,795 |
| Splatoon 3 | Switch | $59.99 | ₱2,990 |
| No Man’s Sky | Switch | $17.49 | ₱1,670 |
| Octopath Traveler 0 | Switch | $24.99 | ₱1,397 |
| Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition | Switch 2 | $69.99 | N/A |
| Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade | Switch 2 | $7.99 | ₱358 |
| Mario Kart World | Switch 2 | $79.99 | ₱4,110 |
| Donkey Kong Bananza | Switch 2 | $69.99 | ₱3,700 |
However, the catalog isn’t a perfect 1:1 match yet. You’ll notice some high-profile third-party releases like Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition are currently missing from the Philippine store.
And that brings us to the catch we cautioned you about: The era of seamless region-hopping is essentially dead. Because a local eShop now exists, Nintendo’s payment restrictions have already kicked in. You can no longer use locally issued credit or debit cards to purchase games or DLCs directly from other regions, like the U.S. or Japan.
If you still want to get Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 games from foreign eShops — perhaps to play a title not yet locally available — you’ll need a workaround. Your Philippine bank cards will simply be rejected on international storefronts. The only way to bypass this restriction is to buy region-specific Nintendo eShop gift cards and load those funds into your accounts.
On the subscription side, Nintendo has also rolled out localized rates for its Switch Online services. Here’s the breakdown for accounts based in the Philippines:
- Individual membership: ₱149 per month or ₱899 annually (₱1,799 annually with Expansion Pack)
- Family membership (up to 8 accounts): ₱1,699 annually (₱3,299 annually with Expansion Pack)
And while saying goodbye to the region-hopping lifestyle might sting, having access to some of the lowest eShop prices in the world right in our own backyard makes it a trade well worth making.
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