Nintendo to Launch Switch Online Service Next Week

Nintendo announced today that it will it will launch its Nintendo Switch Online service next week, on September 18.

“Nintendo Switch Online is a paid service that gives members access to online play in compatible games, a selection of NES games, extra features for the Nintendo Switch Online smartphone app, and more,” the service’s new website explains.

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Nintendo Switch Online will cost $4 per month, but you can save quite a bit by paying for 3 months ($8) or one year ($20) upfront. Nintendo will also offer a family membership for $35 per year that supports seven people.

Key benefits include:

Online play. As with Xbox Live and PlayStation Plus, Nintendo Switch Online gamers can compete or cooperate with each other online in compatible games.

NES games. Nintendo will have 20 classic NES games available at launch, and they will include new online gameplay features. Some key launch titles include Super Mario Bros, Super Mario Bros 3, Donkey Kong, Tennis, and The Legend of Zelda.

Cloud backup of game saves. While few details are available now, gamers will be able to back up their data online for easy access anywhere.

Nintendo Switch Online smartphone app. A new app for Android and iPhone will “enhance your online experience for compatible games such as Splatoon 2.”

Special offers. No details here either, but Nintendo Switch Online subscribers will be able to take advantage of special deals and offers.

We’ll know more tomorrow, Nintendo says. And the service goes live on September 18.

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Conversation 5 comments

  • remc86007

    12 September, 2018 - 11:54 am

    <p>Locking cloud backup of game saves behind a paywall is not cool.</p>

  • Rycott

    Premium Member
    12 September, 2018 - 7:45 pm

    <p>I'm sure that lots of Nintendo users are going to be super happy that the games they were playing online will now cost them money to keep playing.</p><p><br></p><p>It really should have either been rolled out at launch or current games are still free.</p><p><br></p><p>Also sticking the only way to backup your saves on a switch behind a paywall is pretty nasty. It wouldn't be as bad if they had other options.</p>

    • Rick Foux

      12 September, 2018 - 8:30 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#321905">In reply to Rycott:</a></em></blockquote><p>Meh. It's not like they didn't tell us this was coming. They could have started charging for this at launch, so I'm not complaining about the fees, especially at $20 bucks per year. That's like four coffees at Starbucks.</p><p><br></p><p>I will gripe a little more loudly about the cloud saves, because I think those should be available to everyone regardless of if they're a subscriber or not, but Playstation Plus does the same thing at $50 bucks a year, so it's not like Sony gets a pass either.</p>

      • Rycott

        Premium Member
        13 September, 2018 - 3:56 am

        <blockquote><em><a href="#321910">In reply to RawkFox:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>Not every person who plays on a switch reads gaming websites. Pretty sure there are going to be plenty of parents out there that are going to be upset when the game they bought for their kids stops working until the cough up some money. It being only $20 is besides the point.</p><p><br></p><p>You also get cloud saves on PlayStation without Plus. You just get less storage and no auto sync. But they also didn't start charging for multiplayer until the PS4 dropped. Not dropping it 1.5 years into the consoles life-cycle.</p>

  • John Buck

    20 September, 2018 - 2:02 pm

    <p>I don't like this trend of having to pay for online play. Shouldn't the game purchase cover the costs of any servers? Its even more hilarious when the game uses P2P. </p>

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