In Nintendo Switch Sports you can customize your characters with a range of cosmetic items including hairstyles, makeup, and new sports equipment. To unlock items, however, you can’t just play any old game mode – you’ll need to head online to earn points and spend them in limited bundles. Here’s everything you need to know about how to unlock items in Nintendo Switch Sports.
How to unlock items in Nintendo Switch Sports
© Nintendo
To unlock items in Nintendo Switch Sports you need to play online to earn points. Points are earned in the Play Globally category from the main menu. If you have a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, this will connect you to the internet to play against other people around the world. You can have one or two players join from the same console.
Unfortunately, points can’t be earned in local play or when playing with friends online. You must choose the Play Globally option to earn points and unlock items in Nintendo Switch Sports.
© Nintendo
Once you earn 100 points, you’ll be able to spend them immediately on one of the available item packs. You can’t save points up; they must be used immediately to unlock an item in Nintendo Switch Sports. With the launch of the game, the Simple and Cute packs are currently available.
When you choose a pack, you’ll earn a randomly selected item from the collection shown. You can’t unlock the same item multiple times, so spending points repeatedly on the same pack will net more rewards. There’s also a completion bonus which will be rewarded when you unlock all items from a specific pack. The styles of items included in your pack may slightly differ from others, but the completion bonus will always be the same.
While Play Globally is built for online play, you can still access it if you don’t have an internet connection or an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription. In this case you’ll find yourself matched against bots, but you’ll still earn points towards item unlocks.
You can check how close you are to your next unlock in the top right of the sports selection screen or by selecting the present icon in the bottom right.
How to get points in Nintendo Switch Sports
© Nintendo
To get points in Nintendo Switch Sports, you need to play online in any of the available modes. Each sport offers a base level of points just for playing a match. In most sports this is 30 - 40 points.
In addition to those base quantities, there are a number of ways to get more points in Nintendo Switch Sports by performing well. Your points will be multiplied for winning, but also for playing the game well.
Synchronizing with your teammate to perform consecutive Nice actions in Volleyball, for example, will net you a teamwork bonus. Scoring more Spares and Strikes in Bowling will also reward you with more points. In 4v4 Soccer/Football, the MVP will also gain a bonus. In short, playing any game will net you points, winning more so. Performing in-game actions well will grant you a healthy bonus on top of whatever score you achieve, win or lose.
If you’re just looking to rack up points quickly, Bowling and Chambara are the best options. Bowling offers massive boosts if you make it through the first or second rounds, and you’ll earn extra points for every Spare and Strike you pull off. Chambara has the highest base point reward, meaning it’s easy to earn points quickly just by losing matches.
That’s all there is regarding how to unlock items in Nintendo Switch Sports. Hop online or face off against bots in the Play Globally mode and you’ll be rewarded quickly for your time.
