Refurbished Nintendo Switches are on sale for up to $60 off

SAVE UP TO $60: Refurbished first-generation Nintendo Switches are on sale at various retailers as of Jan. 28, with prices starting from just $169.99. Choose from the standard Switch, the OLED model, or the Switch Lite.

It's a predicament that many of us are facing lately: A new free update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons beckons, but a $450 Nintendo Switch 2 just isn't in the cards.

Before you give up on your dreams of island life, allow me to present an alternative. As of late January, refurbished Switches are on sale for up to $60 off the price of a new system, with options starting at only $169.99. Tom Nook would never be so generous.

At Best Buy, you can take your pick from the standard first-generation Switch (was $299.99, now $249.99) or the prettier OLED model with more storage and a better kickstand (was $349.99, now $289.99). As "Geek Squad Refurbished" units, they're used but fixed up to work like new. They come with 90-day parts and labor warranties.

If you'd prefer the portable Switch Lite, head to the My Nintendo Store instead. It's on sale there in refurbished condition for $169.99 (was $199.99) in Yellow, Coral, Gray, and Blue. It has a one-year warranty.

The newer Switch 2 is a far better machine than all of its predecessors, to be sure, though you might not be someone who cares deeply about having a bigger screen or 4K video output. For most people, the most important thing is that you can play most of the same games on older Switches. The Switch 2 doesn't have too many notable exclusives at present (just Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, which are pricier than past Switch titles), so your game FOMO should be minimal for the foreseeable future. If you do decide to upgrade down the road, you can trade in your older Switch for some credit and grab cheap upgrade packs for any titles you want to keep playing.

As a final note, I'll mention that discounted refurbished Switches typically sell out fast; it's rare to see all of these in stock. If you're thinking about adding one to your cart, don't dawdle.