After years of loyal service, your Nintendo Switch may be showing its age. The joy-cons drift, the battery doesn't hold a charge like it used to, or you simply want to upgrade to the latest OLED model. Whatever the reason, many Nintendo Switch owners find themselves wondering what to do with their old console.
Trading it in is an appealing option to recover some value and give your Switch a new home. In this post, we'll explore your different trade-in options for old Nintendo Switch and how to get the best value for your Nintendo Switch.
Why Trade In Your Old Nintendo Switch?
Trading in your old Nintendo Switch can net you decent value if done correctly. With new Switch models coming out and used prices remaining strong, now is a great time to trade yours in. Some top reasons why trading in your Nintendo Switch makes sense include:
- Recover value – Switches retain value very well. By trading yours in while it still works well, you can recover a good chunk of what you originally paid. Models in good condition can fetch over $200 in trade.
- Upgrade to a new model – By trading in your old Switch, you can put that credit towards a new OLED or other upgraded Switch model. This reduces how much you need to spend out of pocket.
- Free up space – If your Switch has been collecting dust, trading it in clears up room for new gaming gear and frees you from unused clutter.
- Discontinue online subscriptions – Trading away your Switch allows you to finally cancel those unused online subscriptions, saving you a bit monthly.
As long as your trade-in Switch remains in good working order without any cracked screens or excessive wear, trading it in is usually a smooth process. Just make sure to factory reset it to wipe all personal data first.
Consider How You Want Your Trade-In Value.
Gaming stores that accept console trade-ins provide that value in different forms. Consider if you want your return in the form of:
- Cash – For pure spending flexibility, cash is best. However, cash trade-in values tend to be lower overall compared to store credit.
- Gift card – Trading in your console for a retailer gift card gives you credit to spend on anything at that store. It's basically as good as cash, though you can only redeem at that specific retailer.
- Store credit – Mom-and-pop-type game shops often provide store credit for trade-ins. This lets you browse their pre-owned inventory for replacement gaming gear.
Before committing to trade in your Nintendo Switch at any given place, learn what forms their offered trade-in value will be provided in.
How to Get the Most Value When Trading In Your Nintendo Switch
If you want to maximize your potential trade-in value by selling back your Nintendo Switch, keep these key tips in mind:
Reset to Factory Defaults
Before sending your console off to any buyer or trader, make sure to reset it back to factory settings. This wipes all your saved games, account info, and other personal data to get it ready for the next owner. Once formatted, the Switch will be like new to whoever ends up buying it.
Price Check Current Resale Rates
Do some quick price checking on sites like eBay first to gauge the current true street value of pre-owned Nintendo Switch consoles. This gives you a baseline against which to compare trade-in quotes. If a store offers far less than the averages you see Switch consoles selling for elsewhere, you might pass on trading it into that particular retailer.
Bundle Games and Accessories
If you still have original Nintendo Switch physical games and accessories like joy-cons lying around, consider bundling them together with your console. You can sell the whole package locally yourself and keep all profits. Or when trading into gaming stores, the extra gear sweetens trade-in values. Removing everything to trade-in just a bare console sees lower quotes.
Check Conditions First
Carefully inspect your Nintendo Switch all around and thoroughly test inputs, screen visibility, WiFi, and Bluetooth before sending it anywhere. Be totally upfront about any notable cosmetic or functional issues when getting buyback quotes. Attempting to hide existing damage to artificially inflate offers rarely goes well.
Consider Replacing Parts
If your console only has minor faults like a severely worn joy-con or scratched-up screen, you might invest $40-50 in fixing or replacing those parts. While not cost-effective for serious issues, replacing common wearing parts can significantly boost offers from trade-in programs. Since no visible damage or wearing parts is ideal.
Weigh Shipping & Meeting Options
Finally, factor in where you'll need to physically deliver your Switch when considering your best trade-in choice. Local stores mean no shipping costs but could have lower rates or limited payment options. Meanwhile, online programs simplify the process hugely, though they involve outgoing and return shipping fees that cut into your proceeds. Do the math in terms of final convenience and value.
Why Choose Gizmogo to Trade in My Nintendo Switch
After doing homework on the various options, eventually, you will choose the e-commerce site Gizmogo to handle your Nintendo Switch trade-in. Gizmogo trades in a huge range of old consumer electronics, from gaming consoles to tablets to cell phones.
Here's why they made sense over alternatives:
- Super fast online quotes – Just pick your Nintendo Switch's model and condition, then Gizmogo instantly showed competitive trade-in values.
- Free shipping kits to send your item – They email prepaid shipping boxes and packing materials to safely send your console.
- Secure handling of your data – Gizmogo wipes all previous user data themselves as part of their refurb process, so you needn't worry about doing this as the seller.
- Reliable payment via PayPal or check- Once received and inspected, Gizmogo promptly issues your final value via whichever payout option you choose.
Really, for me, Gizmogo just made the entire trade-in process easy and efficient. Other options may net you slightly higher proceeds for your old Nintendo Switch but involve a ton more effort and uncertainty on your end in organizing meetings with random buyers.
With Gizmogo, they make the process so straightforward that the slight hit to your proceeds is well worth it. The value is still quite fair and gets that console out of your way with cashback in your pocket.
Most places only offer store credit for your old electronics, too, which limits what you can do with the proceeds. Gizmogo instead pays you out your quoted cash value via PayPal or mailed check. No being forced into spending trade-in credit only at certain stores.
Gizmogo Does All the Heavy Lifting
Rather than deal with juggling fragile electronics gear and haggling with tire kickers online or at sketchy video game stores, Gizmogo streamlines cashing out your used gaming gear.
They handle all the end-to-end hassle:
- Item valuation – Using their online form, get an initial quote offer for your Nintendo Switch's model and condition.
- Shipping – Gizmogo emails you a prepaid shipping label and box to securely package, then send your item their way for free.
- Inspection – Upon receiving, their team fully tests and verifies your console's condition before finalizing the trade amount.
- Data wiping – For total peace of mind, Gizmogo also factory resets your device to erase all old user info. No stress about identity theft down the line.
- Payment – Finally, choose to get your settled trade-in value sent via PayPal or mailed paper check.
You will find that Gizmogo's quotes are very fair relative to the effort required. And getting paid via PayPal meant no running around depositing paper checks. Just money in my connected account within days of them receiving my shipped-off Nintendo Switch.
Because of how seamless the end-to-end experience was, you would absolutely use their buyback trade-in services again for future console upgrades. No messing around with unstable Craigslist buyers or shady local video game stores trying to nickel and dime you.
Instead, you got what you consider a very reasonable value offer for an aging console, boxed it up, and then let Gizmogo take it off my hands for good in exchange for cash. It couldn't be easier!
The Lasting Value of the Nintendo Switch
Years into its life cycle, the Nintendo Switch continues selling at a breakneck pace. It's on track to surpass the insanely successful Wifi before long as Nintendo's best-selling console ever.
Between the still-growing amazing game library and Nintendo consistently improving hardware year to year, it's no wonder so many gamers own Switches nowadays.
Like most successful Nintendo systems, the Switch retains value exceptionally well, too. Making trading in even 4+ year old launch model variants still surprisingly lucrative.
If you have let your trusty Nintendo Switch gather dust lately or feel ready to upgrade to a fancy new OLED version, putting that old console up for trade-in remains a smart bet. Thanks to strong ongoing demand pushing up resale rates for pre-owned Switch units.
When the time comes for you, research prevailing trade-in rates thoroughly, learn what payment options they provide, and then ultimately pick whoever makes the transaction easiest while still paying fair market value for your Nintendo. Odds are that the company will be Gizmogo in most cases. But having the full lay of the land as covered here allows making that call for your situation.
- Nintendo Switch OLED: Offers cash for your device with the best offer listed.
- Nintendo Switch: Provides a platform to sell your Nintendo Switch with a competitive offer.
- Nintendo DS Lite: Even if your device might not fetch a price, you can still sell it.
- Nintendo 3DS XL: Accepts this console with a specific cash offer for it.
- Nintendo Wii U: Allows you to sell this console with an instant cash offer.
No matter what Nintendo gaming gear you eventually trade away, rest assured a passionate new owner eagerly awaits a chance to enjoy it next. That's the true, lasting magic of so many classic Nintendo consoles and games!