Are Nintendo Switch games region locked?

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The Nintendo Switch has been a huge success for Nintendo. To date, the console has sold almost 35 million units worldwide and with a slew of new games on the horizon, that number will most likely increase quite a bit.

That does bring up a question however for those that travel with their Switch console and those looking to buy new games from other countries.

Are Nintendo Switch games region locked?

• Short answer: No

The long answer is a bit more complicated, as there are differences with physical games and digital games.

If you enjoy owning the physical medium, then you are good to go! Nintendo Switch game cards are not region locked. Granted, you’ll now be tasked with carrying those games around (thankfully there are cases for this sort of thing), but it is a small price to pay.

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Now, when dealing with purchasing games through the Nintendo eShop, games are region locked, but you are able to change your region. To do this, you’ll go to your Nintendo account and navigate to “System’. Here, you’ll select the appropriate region.

Important Note: If you change regions, your account balance does not transfer over and you’ll be required to spend the remaining funds before proceeding.

There are a handful of reasons you might change regions – maybe you’ve moved and would like to update it accordingly, but also, because some games are only available in certain regions. Either way, it’s good to know you have options.

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