Do Japanese Nintendo Switch games work in English?
Nintendo Switch games are often much cheaper in Japan, so it’s tempting to bring a few home with you. The good news is that most Japanese games can be played in English without any issues. In this article, I’ll explain how it works.
We were quite nervous about buying Nintendo Switch games in Japan. What if they didn’t work on our console? Fortunately, my sister was willing to take the risk and bought a game for us during her trip.
That’s how we quickly discovered that these games work perfectly on our Dutch Nintendo Switch. Great news, because it means we can pick up affordable games while traveling in Japan! Some titles are even half the price of what they cost in the Netherlands.
Here's how it works: most Nintendo Switch games have English language support. You can check this on Nintendo’s website. Go to Nintendo.com, find the product page of the game you want to buy, and click on “Details.” There you’ll find a list of supported languages.
If your Nintendo Switch is set to one of those languages, the game will automatically run in that language. Some games even support Dutch.
If English isn’t listed among the supported languages, the game will most likely only be available in Japanese.
Where can you buy cheap Nintendo Switch games in Japan?
Even brand-new games are often cheaper in Japan. You can find them at stores such as Don Quijote, BIC CAMERA, and Yodobashi Camera.
We also regularly buy second-hand games from BOOK OFF. These work just as well and are often even more affordable.
Sometimes we come across dedicated second-hand game stores. These are a fun experience in themselves and often offer the best deals. For example, at Lepton Jizodori in Hiroshima, we bought the four games shown in the photo for around €80 in total.
Comments