7 things you need to know about Nintendo Switch Online
UPDATED: All the final details before the service finally launches
HITTING THE WEB
Nintendo has always had an unconventional approach to online play and interactions. Actually, “unconventional” is kind – usually it’s kind of a mess. Case in point: the Nintendo Switch has been out for more than a year now and it still doesn’t have a fully-featured online network. But that’ll change this autumn when Nintendo Switch Online launches. It’s a subscription-based service like PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold that’ll bring access to free games, along with online play and other features. Nintendo just took the wraps off of the service and what to expect, so here are the five things you need to know about Nintendo Switch Online.
1) ONLINE PLAY WON’T BE FREE ANYMORE
There aren’t many Switch games with online multiplayer right now, but the ones you’d actually want to play – like Splatoon 2 (shown), Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Arms – are all freely playable without a subscription fee. That won’t be the case anymore once Nintendo Switch Online launches. You’ll have to pay the subscription fee to play online and use the iOS or Android smartphone app for voice chat and other features. Accessing the eShop and things like online leaderboards will still be free, but actual live interactions will be for members only.
2) IT INCLUDES UPGRADED NES GAMES
One intriguing perk of Nintendo Switch Online is the availability of complementary NES games from way back in the day. But these aren’t just ports: they’ve also been upgraded with online play and voice chat support for competitive and cooperative games. The launch selection will include 20 NES classics, with these 10 games initially revealed: Balloon Fight, Donkey Kong, Dr. Mario, Ice Climber, The Legend of Zelda, Mario Bros, Soccer, Super Mario Bros, Super Mario Bros. 3, and Tennis.
3) THERE’S NO VIRTUAL CONSOLE
Nintendo giveth and Nintendo taketh away. When the Switch launched without a Virtual Console – that is, a store full of classic games across various retro systems – we were perplexed, but we figured it was being saved for the full service launch. Nope. The company confirmed to Kotaku that there are currently no plans to launch a Virtual Console on the Switch. Maybe they’re cooking up something else, or plan to expand beyond just NES titles for Nintendo Switch Online, or maybe those older games will just be released to the eShop without the Virtual Console branding. But for now, that’s disappointing to hear.
4) CLOUD SAVES ARE COMING
Did you know that if your Nintendo Switch is irreparably broken, there’s no way to reclaim your save data? It’s true, frustratingly enough: currently, you can’t back up your saves to the cloud or even locally to an SD card and access them from another Switch console. It’s one of the practical oversights that fans have been raging about since the Switch’s launch. Luckily, cloud saves are coming with Nintendo Switch Online. The company hasn’t detailed the feature just yet, but we can expect to be able to upload copies of our saves to the online service and access them from other consoles – perfect in case of disaster.
5) YOU’LL USE THE SMARTPHONE APP FOR CHAT
One thing that Nintendo Switch Online doesn’t have built into the console experience is voice chat. Instead, you’ll access that by using the companion smartphone app, which has actually been available since last year. You can use it to connect in rooms for games like Splatoon 2 and Mario Tennis Aces, plus there are game-specific in-app experiences for games like Splatoon 2. The voice chat experience was seriously clunky at launch last year, but it seems to have been smoothed out a bit. Hopefully it’s a relatively painless experience for connecting with pals while playing together.
6) THERE ARE EXCLUSIVE NES CONTROLLERS
Sure, you can play the NES games with the Switch’s Joy-Con controllers or the Pro Controller, but why settle for anything but the real deal? Nintendo will release a two-pack of replica NES controllers for the Switch, which look and seemingly feel like the real deal. They’re wireless and can slot right onto the sides of the Switch screen to charge, just like the Joy-Cons, but it doesn’t look like you’ll be able to use them while attached and charging. The two-pack will sell for US$59.99 (no word on UK pricing yet) and be available exclusively to Switch Online subscribers.
7) IT ARRIVES ON 18 SEPTEMBER
Nintendo will launch the service on 18 September. How much will Nintendo Switch Online cost? Your best bet is to pay annually, which seems pretty reasonable at just £17.99 per year. Quarterly is £6.99 and monthly is £3.49, and all of those options include access to online play, cloud saves, and free upgraded NES games. There’s also a family plan for £31.49 annually, in case you need two accounts for your household. In any case, that’s a lot less money than Sony and Microsoft charge for their premium online subscriptions, but on the other hand, there are few online Switch games right now and fewer perks in the mix. So it makes sense.
