Nintendo will convert Gold Points into Switch game discounts

If you buy a lot of Switch games, good news — Nintendo is about to reward you with some discounted software. The company announced in a blog post today that you'll soon be able to spend Gold Points — earned by purchasing Nintendo games — on Switch software in the eShop. Each Gold Point is worth one British pence, which means you'll need to buy a lot of games (a £40 game on the eShop will net you 200 Gold Points, or £2) before you can get something substantial for free. It's a similar story in the US; a $50 purchase will net you 250 Gold Points, or $2.50. If you don't have enough points, you can always make up the difference with regular cash.

The change will come into effect in "early March" for US, European and Japanese Switch owners. Gold Points are valid for a year (points earned this month will expire at the end of February 2018) which means you can wait and accrue a sizeable stack of games before cashing in their associated points on a new title. Nintendo trialed the concept last year with a smattering of 3DS and Wii U titles. It was a temporary promotion, however, and limited to video game "Nindies" such as Runner2, Art of Balance and Zen Pinball 3D. Expanding the reward scheme to the Switch feels like a smart way to boost the system's already impressive software attach rate.

Update: We've updated this post with US details.