My daughter gave her old switch lite to me. After buying my favorite games, lugging and fiddling with game cartridges, then constantly harassed by some online “feature“… I sold everything but the console. I then spent P1500 ($25 USD) to have an “upgrade” installed *wink*, P800 ($12 USD) for a 128gb A2 SD card, and a couple hours of my time to set everything up wherein I can play all the shit I want to without having to connect to anything or bring anything else but the console.
When I was younger, I did something similar with the PlayStation 1 and 2 out of poverty; I couldn’t pay to play. Now I do it more out of convenience. There was a time albeit short-lived where it was easier to pay the thing out-right or a minimal subscription fee to enjoy whatever it companies were trying to sell. Not only is it more expensive now, but it’s also easier to get it from alternative sources.