It's May 2023 which means one thing for gaming fans: it's Zelda Tears of the Kingdom launch month, with the Nintendo Switch exclusive title set to launch on 12 May. Exciting times.
But what if you have no Switch and no stacked bank account, yet want to play Tears of the Kingdom from day one? Well, network provider EE has a potential solution: Nintendo Switch OLED with Zelda Tears of the Kingdom and Nintendo Switch Online contract bundles.
I've been writing about Tears of the Kingdom since its announcement, as a major Link fan. So whether it's been the lowest pre-order price for the game, locating a Collector's Edition (that's now a no-go, sorry), or getting excited about the Special Edition Switch console, Zelda mania is about to fully take hold.
Is EE's Nintendo Switch plan worth it?
You can pay just £10 up front and then £20 ongoing for a 24-month subscription plan on EE. But is that worth it? Here's how it compares to outright purchase:
A brand new Nintendo Switch OLED is £298 on Amazon at the time of writing. Zelda Tears of the Kingdom is £51.99 as a pre-order. And an annual online subscription is £17.99 (times two, as it's two years' worth). That all totals £385.97.
EE's plan of £10 plus £20*24 totals £490 by comparison. So it's £104.03 more overall. Other retailers will likely charge you more, making the overall difference smaller and changing the value proposition.
But if you think about that on a monthly basis then the above example is £4.33 more per month over the 24-month period than buying everything outright. Which, for you, could work out better than chipping away at a credit card with high APR. It's all down to your circumstance.
Interestingly EE offers a variety of bundles, from Xbox and PlayStation to Meta Quest and PC, at varying prices. There are even trade-in options on consoles. So if you're not ready to commit then it's certainly an option, just make sure you do the maths and figure out the value to you.
