Nintendo Switch users unimpressed by controversial eShop change

The Nintendo Switch eShop is about to change in a big way as Nintendo restricts access to the store overseas.

At the time of writing, it’s unknown if the Nintendo eShop will undergo any notable changes when the Nintendo Switch 2 comes out, hopefully it does though as it hasn't been the most stable of digital storefronts.

In case you missed it, you can see the Nintendo Switch 2 announcement below, a longer Nintendo Direct is scheduled for April of this year.

For the time being, the biggest change coming to the store will prevent you from making purchases on the Japanese version of the store if you don’t live in Japan.

Now why would you want to buy from the Japanese store in the first place? Well, the main reason is it can be cheaper depending on the exchange rate.

Obviously, Nintendo isn’t fond of its customers swindling its games for discounted prices, so it’s cracking down.

Future purchases made by overseas credit/debit cards and Paypal accounts will not be accepted so you’ll have to make do with your own region’s eShop instead.

Similar tricks have been used for other digital stores as well like PlayStation, and while it’s a clever way of picking up some most-wanted games on the cheap, it makes sense why companies aren’t too fond of the idea.

Hopefully, the Nintendo eShop gets a rebrand or refresh when the Nintendo Switch 2 comes out though as the UI and general vibe of it hasn’t been that good since the console first launched.

As for when the Nintendo Switch 2 is coming out, that’s a completely different question, as Nintendo is giving people the chance to go hands-on with the console over the next few months, hinting at a summer or fall release date.

Hopefully, we get confirmation during the upcoming Nintendo Direct, or at least a release window so we know how long we have to save up.