Your Switch Online Subscription Might Include Upgrades for Two ‘Legend of Zelda’ Games

It’s only been a week since the Switch 2 landed, and Nintendo has already sold over 3.5 million consoles. If you’re one of the lucky people who nabbed one, don’t forget to upgrade your old games for the new handheld. And if you’re a Switch Online  + Expansion Pack subscriber, you can get upgrades for games like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom for free.

If you already own either Zelda game for the original Switch, then an upgrade pack normally costs $10 each. You don’t need to buy these upgrade packs to play your old copy, but they provide benefits like better performance, faster load times, an extra save slot, and access to the Zelda Notes mobile app.

While a cumulative $20 for upgrades sounds like a bit much—especially for games you already bought, and right after dropping $500 for a new console—the good news is you might have already paid it. Sort of. The Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription costs $50/year, and subscribers to that plan can get the Zelda upgrades for free.

The process is a little less than straightforward, though. Head to the eShop and search for either Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom. The listings you’ll find for the upgrades will show the $10 price tag, but once you add it to your cart, the discount will be applied at checkout. Just make sure you’re using the account that’s tied to your subscription.

It’s also important to note that this won’t work if you have the Switch Online subscription without the Expansion Pack tier. The regular subscription costs $20/year and the Expansion Pack adds another $30/year, but it also comes with access to a host of classic games from the GameCube, Nintendo 64, Game Boy, and even Sega Genesis.