How Players Use the Switch eShop in 2022

Analysis of the 2021 State of Switch survey, which collected data from over 11,000 Nintendo Switch players, reveals critical insights into consumer behavior and store discovery on the eShop platform. The findings indicate that the eShop listing itself is a primary driver of conversion, with 86% of respondents reading the text description and over 70% watching available trailers. Furthermore, wishlisting is a significant but underutilized mechanic on the platform, with nearly 60% of owners actively using the feature despite a lack of developer-facing tools to incentivize these users.

Spending habits on the platform are characterized by a median monthly expenditure of $67. The data suggests that Nintendo’s Gold Points system influences purchasing patterns, as 55% of players spend their accrued credit immediately, often on lower-priced titles. While 35% of players engage with game demos, they are viewed as an incremental rather than transformative factor for sales.

The survey highlights substantial player dissatisfaction with the current state of the eShop’s user interface and discoverability. The most requested improvements include the implementation of a formal review or rating system to combat the perceived rise of low-quality "shovelware." Additionally, users expressed a strong desire for advanced search filters and better categorization. The consensus among the surveyed demographic is that the eShop requires a radical redesign to match the social and organizational features found on competing platforms like Steam and Xbox. These findings suggest that while the Switch remains a high-spending ecosystem, the storefront's technical limitations continue to hinder the discovery process for both developers and consumers.