Nintendo Switch Online Service to Roll out in the Second Half of September
Nintendo formally announced that the paid subscription-based online service for the Nintendo Switch would roll out sometime in September, but the company has revealed that the service will be launching in the second half of September.
Once the service launches, Switch players will need to be subscribed to the Nintendo Switch Online membership in order to play any type of multiplayer games like Splatoon 2, Mario Kart 8: Deluxe, and the upcoming Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The service will cost players $19.99 for a yearly membership, or you can purchase the plan on a monthly basis for only $3.99; there is also a three-month plan for $7.99.
Included Features
- 20 online-play enabled Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) titles that will let you share your screen, use voice chat to talk to friends, and use the multiplayer functionality over the internet. The service will launch with 20 NES titles and more will be added regularly once the service launches.
- Save Data Cloud Backup that allows you to obviously upload your game saves to the cloud, making it easy to retrieve your precious data if you lose your Switch or decide to purchase a new system entirely.
- Special exclusive offers and discounts for members only.
- Online Play.
Nintendo wants to make sure that players know that “Switch owners won’t be automatically subscribed to the service when it starts, so they will need to purchase an individual or family membership in order to avoid disruption of their online play in compatible games. For pricing information, and to pre-order a 3- or 12-month individual membership from select retailers so you can be ready to go once the service launches, visit https://www.nintendo.com/switch/online-service/pricing.”
How do you guys feel about Nintendo starting to charge for online play when it comes to the Switch? This is the first time that the company has released a paid subscription-based online service but do you think the included features are worth the price? Let us know in the comments section below!