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Having now been held within the firm grip of players for almost three years, the Nintendo Switch is a console that continues to inspire the imagination of children and adults. Not only does it deliver great exclusive games you can't play anywhere else like the Splatoon 2 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but it’s also a great home to play awesome multiplatform releases like Wolfenstein II: the New Colossus and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Choosing to pick one up second-hand is a good way to offset the usual high barrier to entry.
Of course, for this to happen, people need to first submit their Nintendo Switch for trade-in at a retailer willing to accept it – giving the console a new lease of life with a new owner. So how do you do this? In this advice guide we’ll run you through the Nintendo Switch trade-in process for three of the UK’s top second-hand retailers, revealing all you need to know to secure the best price.
The best thing about getting your Nintendo Switch ready for trade-in is that there’s only a few components to worry about. You’ve got the console itself, the dock and the two Joy-Con controllers that come bundled in from the get-go. Ensure you have all these pieces together before sending your Nintendo Switch off or taking it to the store, as if not the Nintendo Switch trade-in could end up being a wasted eff
Making your Nintendo Switch as presentable as possible also helps. For this, we’d recommend wiping the screen with a microfibre cloth, cleaning out the two lower speakers and air vents using a handheld vacuum, and finally finding the console’s box. Not having the original packaging isn’t a total deal-breaker by any means, but could be the difference between, say, £20 or so in price. Lastly, you’ll need to wipe your Nintendo Switch of all data, which is easily done in System settings.
In terms of where is best to trade-in your Nintendo Switch, there are a couple of retailers worth considering. All will likely offer you a different price, which is dependant on the console’s current popularity, the existing demand for it and the quality they deem your Nintendo Switch to be. Here we’ll run through the benefits of trading in via the UK’s three major players: GAME, Music Magpie and CEX.
As the UK’s biggest games retailer, GAME is also a popular choice in which to trade in your Nintendo Switch. You don’t even necessarily have to bring the console into a store either, with GAME letting, pack up your console to send it in to them directly. Selling your Nintendo Switch physically in store is still viable, but opting to do it all online saves you going out of your way and doesn’t require you to pay delivery fees. To help paint a clearer picture of what your Nintendo Switch could be worth to GAME, here's a breakdown of some current trade-in prices:
At the time of updating this guide:
Switch Console, 32GB + Neon Red/Blue Joy-Con, Boxed – £126.90
Switch Console, 32GB + Neon Red/Blue Joy-Con, Unboxed – £116
Switch Console, 32GB Smash Bros+Smash Grey Joy-Con, Boxed – £129.60
Switch Console, 32GB Smash Bros+Smash Grey Joy-Con, Boxed – £116
Below we've included the current rate that GAME currently sells pre-owned Nintendo Switches back to its potential customers. You'll notice it's significantly higher than the value they'll ever give you upon trade-in, and this is because the added markup accommodates for refurbishment tasks they complete before putting it back up for sale. Keeping this figure in mind, however, could grant you extra negotiating power.
Game and Watch: The Legend of Zelda Console
Music Magpie is arguably one of the most recognisable retailers that solely centres on second-hand stock. Just like with GAME, all you have to do to trade your Nintendo Switch into Music Magpie is pack it up in any box and they’ll save you the hassle of entering a store. You can get an instant price for your Nintendo Switch by entering the correct details online, and Music Magpie prides itself on paying you the agreed amount just the day after it’s received either via bank transfer or PayPal.
At the time of updating this guide:
Switch Console, 32GB + Neon Red/Blue Joy-Con, Boxed – £155
Switch Console, 32GB + Neon Red/Blue Joy-Con, Unboxed – £93
An easy way to judge whether or not the value of your Nintendo Switch trade-in being quoted is a fair one involves looking at the amount of markup added to it upon resale. Below, for example, you'll find the current going rate for a refurbished Nintendo Switch in decent condition from Music Magpie. Keep this in mind to ensure that trading in your Nintendo Switch with them is indeed worth while.
Game and Watch: The Legend of Zelda Console
CEX is UK retailer that trades exclusively in pre-owned goods, making it easy for people to trade in their Nintendo Switch for a generous price. You can visit them directly for your Nintendo Switch trade-in, but like other retailers they also allow you to do it online via their webuy.com website. You will need to create an account and input all the relevant information, before eventually sending it to them directly via Royal Mail Freepost.
Much like both Music Magpie and GAME it isn't only sterling you can receive for your pre-owned Nintendo Switch, but in-store credit too. This comes in especially handy for those who want to receive the maximum value for their Nintendo Switch but also plan on picking something up at the same retailer. CEX offer customers the ability to have this voucher printed or sent to you directly via email and any voucher will retain its value for 1,000 years - that's not a joke. Of course, traditional cash value will suit most that want to reinvest so below we've listed the current trade-in price listings:
At the time of updating this guide:
Switch Console, 32GB + Neon Red/Blue Joy-Con, Boxed – £150
Switch Console, 32GB + Neon Red/Blue Joy-Con, Unboxed – £147
Switch Console, 32GB Smash Bros+Smash Grey Joy-Con, Boxed – £178
Switch Console, 32GB Smash Bros+Smash Grey Joy-Con, Boxed – £178
Switch Console, 32GB Lets Go+Yellow/Brown Joy-Con No Game/Ball, Boxed – £195
Switch Console, 32GB Lets Go+Yellow/Brown Joy-Con No Game/Ball, Unboxed – £175
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