Topic: Switch online or nes/snes mini consoles

Should I get a switch online subscription or get those nes/snes mini consoles?
I only want to play the nes/snes games.
If I get the nso, I'm only renting those games unlike the mini consoles where I get to keep the games.
I'm not too interested in the gameboy or mega drive games.

@CharlieZee Well, the only benefit with the NSO is that more games will be added where as the mini consoles you only have the 10 or so games on it. Of course there are "magical" ways to add more games to the mini consoles but we can't discuss that here I am afraid.

Between the two, I'd go for the Mini consoles or find some other way to play them.

I'm not paying to rent decades-old ROMs. Nope. Get stuffed with that, Nintendo.

But I would gladly buy physical compilations or otherwise pay to buy the games digitally, should Nintendo ever deign to give us the option.

Are the NES/SNES Mini's even still available? Used is likely your only option now I think.

You could probably buy both NES & SNES minis for around £130 ( current CEX prices for used unboxed) which would pay for NSO for about 7 years (less if you get the family and/or expansion subscription).

There's a fair bit of overlap with the games too, but last time I checked there were a few the Mini's have that NSO doesn't and vice versa, but overall there are more on NSO in total (with more getting added every so often). If you use/need the online anyway then it's a no-brainier really.

Bear in mind NSO is currently the only way to legitimately play most of these games if you don't already have the originals in some other form (original hardware, Virtual Console etc) so if that's not an issue for you, then you could pick up a cheap handheld for less than the mini consoles and just emulate them.

@CharlieZee Just comes down to whether you're a collector of physical products or not really. If you just want to experience the games a few times then may as well just subscribe to NSO (not forgetting you can share family group membership with anyone to lower costs) and be able to play 'anytime, anywhere'. But if you're interested in collecting genuine physical Nintendo products then defo get the mini consoles.

Switch Online all the way. There are more games, you can play them anywhere. They also sell wireless NES/SNES gamepads, which feel exactly as they should. It's just more convenient. And NSO basic plan is very cheap, especially if you take the family plan and split the cost with friends.

You don't own the games, that's true... But honestly, do you really need to own those games? The games that I want to own, I buy an original NES/SNES cartridge.

Agree with above statement 100% - so many gems within NSO, too good to pass up on

@Tasuki yeah, I'm aware of the ways to add games as I'm looking on some on ebay.

Thanks to everyone's help.
After some more thought and looking at the cost of the mini consoles compared to nso, I think I'll go with nso.
Also, less clutter/physical stuff to deal with.

I’m a bit late to the party but here’s my 2 cents. I own all the mini consoles and (barring the underwhelming PS One classic) they are solid bits of kit, with an excellent selection of games. The fact that they are offline is a bonus, with no need for updates and as a gamer back in the 90s they absolutely hit the nostalgia urge. The NSO is very convenient, especially if you are trying to save space. However, one day soon it will be gone, completely. You won’t have access to any of it, just as you won’t have access to any streaming content if/when they go out of business. Sure, nothing lasts forever and you may well not care about these classic games in 10 years time, but with the mini consoles the games are yours forever, to play as much or little as you want. Furthermore you can also pass on or sell the mini consoles (and I’m guessing the NES, SNES and Mega Drive ones will grow in value as they already have). Can’t do that with NSO.

@Gamecuber
Yeah, nah. The idea that you will "lose access" to these games is a bit of a stretch. Obviously NSO will morph and change over the years but the idea that Nintendo's going to suddenly make Super Mario World not accessible is laughable. And even if they did it's not like these games aren't "widely preserved". If Nintendo does self implode and all of their IP gets locked up in some vault there will be ways. In all other scenarios whoever has the rights to it is going to want to use that IP as a carrot for whatever platform/service they're trying to sell

Probably more to the point, the best hardware is the one you have access to. It's like that bit of Apple marketing when they were trying to push the iPhone camera. The best camera is the one you have access to. I have a SNES mini. I also have an original SNES, a Wii, a Wii U, a Switch and an active subscription to NSO. If I wanted to play Super Mario Kart right now? I'd either pick up my Switch or my Anbernic 35XX+. If you have a Switch? Switch is going to be the most convenient way to play these games

Also, personally, I don't buy into the "value" of collectable stuffs. These are games, they're meant to be played. And even if this was about value lets consider the value. The SNES/NES Minis are no-longer available, you buy one now you're paying almost Switch Lite prices. We're talking 20 years worth of single user NSO membership. Even when the SNES Mini was new the Australian price was something like 4x years of NSO membership, NSO didn't exist then but still. And that's before you consider the other things that come with NSO or the family membership options

Don't get me wrong, the mini consoles are great. I love that I have one, comfortably one of my favourite collectable-like devices. But it's neither cost effective or convenient. If someone already has a Switch.... just get NSO. A year is $30, a year from now you can re-evaluate how things sit once Switch 2 inevitably comes out and changes the value proposition.