Nintendo’s subscription service for Switch lets you chat in real time, connect with friends online, and a whole lot more, but what do you get for $20 per year?
Nintendo has a special service that Switch owners can subscribe to for a small fee. It gives us access to game-specific content within the Nintendo Switch Online app, online gameplay for compatible games, access to play classic NES game titles, and special discounts in the eShop. Here’s everything you need to know about Nintendo’s online subscription service.
3-month subscription
This is the quarterly subscription for a single person. Only choose this if you are still not sure after the free trial.
12-month subscription
This is the yearly subscription for a single person. Perfect for a person on their own.
12-month family subscription
The family subscription gives you and seven other people access to Switch Online. It is the cheapest way for people to play.
What’s in this article?
- What does a subscription get me?
- How much does it cost?
- Can’t I just use my Wii U or 3DS account?
- Which countries are supported?
- How do I subscribe?
-
What does not having a subscription get me?
What’s new with Nintendo Switch Online?
April 2, 2019: Tetris 99 released as Switch online exclusive
With the Launch of Switch Online, Nintendo has made Tetris 99 a free download. For those who don’t know Tetris 99 is a battle royale version of Tetris. Yup, you heard that right, 99 of you all play a different game of Tetris each but as you complete lines you send those lines to other people making it harder for them to win.
Each player gets eliminated if their Tetris tower reaches the top until one player becomes victorious! It’s a really fun take on Tetris and as a free exclusive it’s well worth the download.
September 12, 2018: Launch day revealed!
#NintendoSwitchOnline memberships will start on 9/18. You can sign-up for a 7-day free trial from Nintendo #eShop at launch! We will introduce more information during the Nintendo Direct on 9/13.https://t.co/74Hzxk9spt pic.twitter.com/EJVFJH6F4I
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) September 12, 2018
Well, we can finally stop wondering. We have a launch day for the Nintendo Switch Online service. Nintendo announced through their Twitter account that Nintendo Switch Online will launch on September 18. If you aren’t quite sure whether or not the service is for you, you will be able to try it out with a free 7-day trial. If you want to get in on the free trial run, all you have to do is create an account on launch day and you will be able to get a taste on the online service.
If you want to know more details, it seems that there will be more coming from the Nintendo Direct presentation on September 13.
Aug. 30, 2018: Nintendo Switch Online release window gets smaller and Super Mario 3 gets teased!
#NintendoSwitchOnline will launch in the second half of September. The service provides access to online play & Save Data Cloud backup in compatible games and a growing library of NES titles with added online play.https://t.co/74Hzxk9spt pic.twitter.com/JtNgmjnilE
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) August 10, 2018
In the last month, Nintendo has dropped a few tweets that gave us a little more information about the forthcoming online service.
On Aug. 9, The Nintendo of America Twitter account let us know that we could expect the service to launch sometime in the second half of September. With no word of a specific date as of yet, this is the best we have to go on right now.
Play Super Mario Bros. 3 online with #NintendoSwitchOnline when the service launches this September and relive the classic #NES game that brought renowned power-ups such as Raccoon Mario to the world of Super Mario Bros.! https://t.co/ZPh216goDt pic.twitter.com/4wuBC9DKFp
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) August 13, 2018
A few days later, from the same account, we got a lovely little tease of Super Mario Brothers 3 on the Switch. While we were already aware that access to this game was imminent, it serves as a nice little reminder of the classic Nintendo gaming bonuses that will be coming with the online service.
July 25, 2018: Nintendo Switch Online is available for preorder right now!
If you’re itching to drop some dollar bills Nintendo’s way, you can preorder your Nintendo Switch Online service right now on Amazon. Though the service won’t sell out ahead of time, it’s one way for Nintendo to see how much interest there is. You can grab a digital download code for a 12-month subscription for $20 or 3-month subscription for $8. Though the Amazon page shows that the code will be available on December 31, 2018, that’s just a temporary holding date. Nintendo has already stated that it’ll be available in September.
May 14, 2018: Nintendo announces the addition of cloud saves to the Nintendo Switch online service.
Saints of Nintendo be praised! No longer will we have to live life on the razor’s edge. No longer will we have to live in fear of losing fifty plus hours of gameplay. Cloud save functionality will be coming to the Nintendo Switch. The feature will only be available to those who subscribe to the Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions service but it’s better than what we have right now, which is nothing.
In addition, Nintendo announced that the classic NES titles which will be available for free with the service will include online play. I have to admit that that is pretty darned cool. If you want to play some two-player Super Mario Brothers 3, you don’t have to huddle around your dusty old NES. You can actually play with someone on the other side of the globe with this forthcoming subscription service.
What does a subscription get me?
With a subscription to Nintendo Online, you’ll get five major exclusives.
- Online gameplay – Once the service officially launches, you’ll have to pay to play with others online. If you’re a high-ranking racer in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, you’re going to want to protect your rank and the only way to do that is to pay for online play. This includes co-operative and competitive games.
- Access to the Nintendo Switch Online app – Nintendo has a special app that is exclusive to Switch and offers special content for specific games. It includes such features as voice chat, leaderboards, a special gear shop, game invites for friends, and more. Without a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, you won’t be able to get any of this exclusive content.
- Game save data backups – With a subscription, you can back up your game save data to the cloud so it is significantly less likely that you’ll lose those hours and hours of gameplay if something should happen to your Switch.
- Classic Game Selection – Nintendo has included a library of classic NES games you can play alone or with friends on your Switch — games like Super Mario Bros. 3, Balloon Fight, and more. We don’t have to pay anything extra for these games, but if you cancel your Nintendo Switch Online subscription, you’ll lose access to them. Here’s a list of the games you can play.
- Discounts on eShop games – In addition to dropping some classic titles in our laps at no additional charge, Nintendo gives us deals on eShop purchases that non-subscribers don’t get.
How much does it cost?
You can subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online for either one month, three months, or one year.
3-month subscription
This is the quarterly subscription for a single person. Only choose this if you are still not sure after the free trial.
12-month subscription
This is the yearly subscription for a single person. Perfect for a person on their own.
12-month family subscription
The family subscription gives you and seven other people access to Switch Online. It is the cheapest way for people to play.
Can’t I just use my Wii U or 3DS account?
Nope. Sorry. This subscription is exclusive to Nintendo Switch. No sharesies.
Which countries are supported?
At launch, Nintendo Switch Online will be supported in the following countries:
- U.S.
- Canada
- Mexico
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Chile
- Colombia
- Peru
How do I subscribe?
You’ll need a Nintendo Account in order to subscribe. Chances are, you’ve already got one, but just in case you don’t here’s how to sign up for one:
How to sign up for a Nintendo Account
Once signed up, you’ll be asked if you’d like to subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online. Choose which subscription you want and hit Purchase.
What does not having a subscription get me?
Just in case you’re faced with the decision to pay for Nintendo Switch Online or go without, here’s what you still get to do on your Switch, even without the subscription:
- Access to the Nintendo Switch eShop – You know, so you can buy the games.
- Register and manage friends – You don’t get to talk to them or anything, but you’ll know when they’re on and what they’re playing (if they’ve got that info turned on).
- Share screenshots to social media – No one gets left out of the soch meeds.
- Access to Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app – Because Nintendo would be stupid to restrict this behind a paywall.
Any questions?
Do you have any questions about Nintendo’s online subscription service? Put them in the comments and I’ll help you out.
<!–
–>
Source of the article – iMore