Questions about Switch digital purchases.

[hepcat]

I just got a Nintendo Switch and signed up for 3 months of the NS Online Service. Sorry if I’m missing something obvious, but I can’t find a straight answer to the following scenario after DuckDuckGo-ing and searching this forum.

 

If I buy River City Ransom today, will I still be able to play it when my 3 month subscription runs out?

 

https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/river-city-ransom-switch/

 

Nintendo’s FAQ says the following:

Quote

 

After my Nintendo Switch Online membership expires, will my online save data and my Nintendo Entertainment System™ - Nintendo Switch Online data be erased?

If a Nintendo Switch Online membership expires, users won’t be able to access their Save Data Cloud backups. However, Nintendo will allow users who resubscribe within 180 days to access their previous Save Data Cloud backups.

Classic games in the NES – Nintendo Switch Online collection and the save data for those games will not be removed unless the user chooses to do so manually. These items are stored locally on the Nintendo Switch system but cannot be accessed without an active Nintendo Switch Online membership.

 

https://www.nintendo.com/switch/online-service/faq/

 

That sounds at the very least like I’ll lose access to my RCR save data once my subscription runs out, and possibly that I won’t be able to play the game at all unless I resubscribe.

 

How does this work for more recent games like a digital purchase of Mortal Kombat 11 for Switch? Is that data saved in the cloud with an option to save it locally as well?

 

Sorry again if these are noob questions, but I still buy physical games almost exclusively and I don't know how this stuff works on modern consoles.

Edited December 30, 2020 by hepcat

[Punisher5.0]

Yes you will be able to. The subscription is for online play and access to the free NES and SNES games. You dont need an online subscription to buy games. Saves are also local too so you won't loose anything.

[Asaki]

Yeah, you're buying RCR from the eShop (no online subscription required), rather than playing one of the NES/SNES games included for free with your subscription (which will expire).

[roots.genoa]

That being said, I'm not sure you can buy RCR; it's included for free in the app which will expire with the subscription.

[Tanooki]

The only thing you can't use are things that require an online connection.  That would include the 'free' around 100 NES+SNES games in those apps because every 1 or 2 weeks it does a fast check in to make sure your account is still active.

 

Anything that's stand alone, if you bought it, its yours to play.  Even without the paid account, anything on the eshop that's playable without using specific narrow network features, they work.  But seriously at like $20 a year, why cheap out?  The cloud saving is a life safer among others.

[Asaki]

9 hours ago, roots.genoa said:

That being said, I'm not sure you can buy RCR; it's included for free in the app which will expire with the subscription.

Check the link they posted, you can buy it for $5.

[roots.genoa]

8 minutes ago, Asaki said:

Check the link they posted, you can buy it for $5.

I actually can't, but probably because it's not the right region for me. But yes, I just checked, it's also available in Europe - as part of the Double Dragon/Kunio compilation Arc System Works released I think, so not related to the Nintendo Switch Online.