Trade-in offers at stores like GameStop often get a bad reputation for offering low amounts on games, but Nintendo Switch owners looking to upgrade to the newer version with an extended battery have a couple of special offers that may be useful to them.
For a limited time, players can trade in their old Nintendo Switch consoles and receive $200 trade in-value for store credit. Although the offer does not stipulate that one needs to then buy a new console, many current owners may find this to be a great way to upgrade to the new version by paying the difference.
In Canada, the equivalent store EB Games is running a more targeted promotion that allows players to trade in their Nintendo Switch consoles for the upcoming Nintendo Switch Lite. This is a more restrictive offer in that one can only trade in for the Nintendo Switch Lite and is only going to appeal to those users who only play their games in portable mode. In either case, the consoles must be in full working order and include all components that were included with the original packaging.
The amount offered is subject to change, and trade in estimates can vary day by day, so be sure to phone ahead and verify what they would offer you on a given day.
The move is likely meant to spur additional business at GameStop, which has been in a bit of a crisis as of late in its long-term struggle to reinvent itself with the growing dominance of digital game sales over physical copies.
Making this offer accomplishes two things for the organization. First, it provides ample stock of Nintendo Switch consoles which can be refurbished and sold again in-store or online, as the company has a healthy selection of used games for sale.
Of course, sometimes the quality of their refurbishment varies wildly, as seen in the popular videos by Spawn Wave. In these videos, he purchases used consoles from GameStop with the explicit purpose of disassembling and grading the work done. Sometimes the work is of excellent quality, and other times it is the opposite.
Secondly, GameStop is likely desperate to continue cycling customers into its store, and to have them continue to return as repeat customers. Console sales right now are already low for Sony and Microsoft as their consoles are nearing the end of their lifespan with the impending release of their next generation console in 2020, so buying up various Nintendo Switch consoles might help drive more business.
In any case, the trade-in offer does appear to be more generous than normal, and if one were looking to upgrade to the newer version of the Switch for its improved battery life, this may be the simplest and cheapest way to go about it.