Is Among Us Free on Nintendo Switch?

If you happened to catch Nintendo’s Indie World presentation the other day (or even if you didn’t, I’m sure someone told you), you already know that the critically acclaimed Among Us is now available for the Switch. Now you can engage in social psychology experiments with your friends on the go! However, there is an important question that needs to be answered before all else: is Among Us free on Nintendo Switch?

Betrayal: Admit One

If I were to answer this question in a single word, the word would be “no.” No, the Switch version of Among Us is not free, it costs $5.00 USD. However, there is a slightly more elaborate answer to the question if you have a minute.

Among Us originally released on mobile platforms like the Google Play store and the Apple Store. Unlike the Switch and Steam versions, the mobile versions of the game are free to download and play, but they come with caveats. 

The free versions have banner ads plastered on the borders of the screen, and if you want any cosmetics for your little astronaut dude, you have to pay for them in a separate cash store. On the flip side, while the Steam and Switch versions both cost five bucks, they have no ads and give you access to all cosmetic items for free off the bat. Since the mobile version uses banner ads, there’s also some background usage data collection going on in there. No ads on the paid versions means no data collection, so if you’re paranoid about that sort of thing, that’s another blessing that comes with the paid versions.

So once again, no, the Switch version is not free, but if you’ve bought any Switch games through the eShop recently, then I’m sure you’ve got five bucks in gold points lying around. It’s a drop in the bucket for an ad-free experience, really.