Are Nintendo Switch games region-locked?
Thankfully, no, Nintendo Switch games are not region-locked.
One of the best things Nintendo did with the Nintendo Switch was remove the strict region-locking found on previous systems such as the Nintendo 3DS family. If you were old enough to remember the Nintendo 3DS era, it was really frustrating.
The region-free design is one of the reasons why Nintendo Switch collectors and import gamers love the Nintendo Switch. You can buy a Nintendo Switch from Asia, Europe, Australia, the United States or many other regions and play them on your console without any special modifications.
This also gives Nintendo Switch owners access to thousands of games released across different regions, both physically and digitally. Many of these Nintendo Switch games may never receive a physical release in their home country, making imported Nintendo Switch games especially appealing to Nintendo Switch collectors.
However, there is one important thing to know before importing games: language support.
While Nintendo Switch games are generally region-free, not every Nintendo Switch game includes English or other language options. Some titles, especially certain Japanese releases, may only include Japanese text, menus or audio. That’s why we always recommend checking a game’s supported languages before buying.
You can often find language information on the back of the game case, the Nintendo eShop listing or the publisher’s official website.
We have independently verified the Nintendo Switch’s region-free compatibility using Nintendo Switch games from at least 12 different countries and regions including Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Australia, Southeast Asia, Europe, the United States and the Middle East.
All physical game cartridges in our collection worked on the Nintendo Switch systems that we were able to test, including Japanese, Australian, Southeast Asian and American consoles.
As our collection continues to grow, we’ll be reviewing many more imported Nintendo Switch games and sharing our findings. Be sure to check back for future guides, reviews and collector tips.
