Twitch has announced its latest benefit for its Twitch Prime subscribers: a free year of Nintendo Switch Online service, which usually costs $19.99.
The streaming site is giving out the free service in a two-stage process: first, subscribers will be able to claim a free three-month membership, and after 60 days, they’ll be able to come back to get the other nine months (presumably to stop people from signing up for a single month, claiming the free year, and bailing.) The deal is open to both new and existing Switch Online subscribers — current users will get the extra months added to their existing plan.
Given that Twitch Prime is part of Amazon Prime, which costs $12.99 per month or $119 per year, it’s not worth picking a subscription up just for the Switch Online service on its own (considering that you’ll need to pay for at least two months to get the full year), but if you already pay for Amazon Prime, it’s essentially a no-brainer, especially since it stacks with existing Switch Online subscriptions.
As for Switch Online itself, it offers numerous benefits to Switch players, including the ability to play games online, cloud saves, along with what may be the best part of the service: access to classic NES games and exclusive titles like Tetris 99.
According to Twitch, Prime subscribers will have until September 28th to redeem the three-month subscription, and until January 28th, 2020 to redeem the nine-month membership. Additionally, the streaming site warns that “Nintendo Switch Online membership will automatically convert to a 3-month membership for $7.99 unless automatic renewal is turned off any time up to 48 hours before the end of the initial 3-month membership,” so make sure to check your renewal settings after claiming your free service if don’t want to pay extra.
