Last Thursday, Nintendo announced its multiplayer platform had been delayed until 2018. Nintendo Switch Online will cost $20 a year, and it will offer an expandable library of classic exclusive games. A free, limited version of the official app will launch this summer.
The news about the delay disappointed some fans, but Nintendo’s clarification about the classic game library coming with the service also brought the hype up again. It looks as if the video game giant wants to give players a Netflix-like experience with a rotating selection of titles.
The Nintendo Switch’s most puzzling feature, its smartphone app for multiplayer communication with friends, has only gotten weirder with time. A headset is launching with Splatoon 2 in July, and it has fans worried about how cumbersome it will be to use one of these in the future.
Nintendo Switch Online beats PS4 and Xbox One prices
First of all, Nintendo is offering a renewable subscription service that costs significantly less than rival platforms by Sony and Microsoft. At $20 per year, Nintendo Switch Online service’s price is just a third of what Xbox Live Gold and PlayStation Plus cost ($60 a year).
Of course, it comes with significantly fewer features as well, at least according to the information provided so far by the company. Most gamers know Nintendo has never been big on multiplayer platforms, so they appreciate how straightforward it all is.
The Switch Online service membership can also be paid on a
monthly basis at $4 if you just want to give it a try for one game or you can subscribe for three months down by paying just $8.
Nintendo Switch will feature an expanding library of classic games
Fans might want to consider hashing out the $20 from the start since online multiplayer is not the only feature that makes the service worth it: Nintendo is also rolling out a Classic Game Selection to give players the best out of its legacy consoles.
In a statement to Kotaku, the company said games like Super Mario Bros. 3, Balloon Fight, and Dr. Mario will be available as playable titles on the Nintendo Switch.
Nintendo’s wording here is tricky, many have noted, because “added online play” could refer both to the separate multiplayer feature for Switch titles and to classic games requiring an internet connection to work at all times.
Still, the prospect of a Virtual Console service replacement that features Nintendo’s greatest hits for no additional cost has fans fairly excited. Online Lobby and Voice Chat app access will also be an exclusive feature, as well as eShop deals and bundles. For all of this, of course, you need to have a Nintendo Account.
Source: Nintendo
