The online service of the Nintendo Switch will launch with an app. Starting in autumn 2017, you will need to pay for the online service.
Nintendo recently announced some details about the Nintendo Switch and introduced its online service. Until now, players could play online for free with both the Wii U and the Nintendo DS.
The Nintendo Switch will now be the first Nintendo platform that requires payment for online play. The service will look similar to that of PlayStation and Xbox.
Starting in autumn 2017, you will need to pay for the online service
The online service will be free at the launch of the Nintendo Switch and will allow players a trial period until autumn 2017. After that, you will need a subscription to play online, which will incur a cost. The price is not known at this moment.
An app will serve as a communication hub
The Nintendo Switch can connect to the internet via the “Smart Device App”. The app serves directly as a communication hub, allowing players to talk to each other via voice chat. It can also be used as a shared planner to invite other players and organize matches.
According to Nintendo, most online games will only be available with the paid subscription after the free trial. At launch, there will initially only be two games that do not come with an online mode.
Nintendo entices with free games from the 80s – but there is a catch
Every month with the subscription, it will be possible to download a NES or SNES game . Nintendo promised additional online features for the SNES games. Which features are still unknown. Such exclusive offers are also part of the “PlayStation Plus” and “Xbox Live Gold” services.
However, you can keep the games on PSPlus and XboxGold after the month, while with Nintendo Switch, you will only be able to continue playing them after the month if you purchase them.
The online service will arrive in Europe later
The online service will initially only be available in the USA, Canada, and Mexico at the launch of the console. The app is expected to come in summer 2017, although it is unclear if this applies worldwide.
We will have to wait and see how much the Nintendo online service, including the app, will cost and whether any additional features will come.
What do you think of a paid online service for the Switch? Here is our “Nintendo Switch” overview.
