Nintendo has revealed that it wants to keep expanding its Nintendo Switch Online service this year, after seeing its massive financial potential.
Nintendo of America, A guest enjoys playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the groundbreaking new Nintendo Switch at a special preview event in New York on Jan. 13, 2017. Launching in March 3, 2017, Nintendo Switch combines the power of a home console with the mobility of a handheld. It's a new era in gaming that delivers entirely new ways to play wherever and whenever people want.
That potential was apparent during the company's financial results for Q4 2021, reports DotESports. According to president Shuntaro Furukawa, the service kept growing with the user base for their Switch handheld, even if the service was only launched three years ago.
But it might be due to the perks that the service has offered its users that helped it grow an exponential amount. In the service's Expansion Pack tier, players got access to classics from the Sega Genesis and N64 days, alongside DLCs for games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Mario Kart 8. However, Furukawa said that those perks are only the beginning for the service this 2022.
The standard tier of Nintendo Switch Online is also nothing to scoff at. For one, it does give folks the ability to play online, wherein games such as Nintendo Switch Sports can be enjoyed in a far more interesting way than just couch multiplayer.
VGC translated Furukawa's remarks on subscriber retention for NSO, wherein he said that it was important to keep "adding value" to the service as a whole. Here's what he said:
"The total subscribers of Nintendo Switch Online has not been updated from the 32 million subscribers we disclosed last September, but it is gradually increasing as the sales of Nintendo Switches increases. Of course, there are customers who allow their subscription to expire, and then they don't renew, so we believe it is important to continue releasing software that allows players to continue enjoying not only online play, but also enahcnes their overall experience. We will continue to expand our services and create new content for our customers throughout this year."
Furukawa didn't make it clear what kind of new content they plan to add to NSO for the rest of 2022. But numerous rumors have pointed to original Game Boy titles coming to the service, with 39 games leaking back in late April (via GameRant).
Should You Try Nintendo Switch Online This Year?
If you own a Nintendo Switch, be it a Lite or OLED model, your library of games can be quite limited compared to other consoles. That's where Switch Online comes into play.
According to a review by the YouTube channel Tech Finder, the service itself is pretty good considering what it offers now, but it still has a ways to go to compete with other gaming subscriptions elsewhere in the industry:
Among the biggest drawbacks, they argue, is the online play and the voice chat feature via the official smartphone app. Nintendo's online infrastructure seems to still be far less robust compared to that of PlayStation or Xbox, as online multiplayer seems to be fraught with lag and connection issues.
As for the voice chat feature, it is extremely limited: only allowing calls when people play specific games in a very specific mode at the same time. This isn't always the case for people who play online, as anyone might want to do something different than their peers but remain on the call nonetheless.
The best thing about NSO, though is the massive library of classics - particularly that of NES and Super NES games. If you're big on nostalgia, this is going to be an excellent choice to relive your precious childhood years playing on those original consoles.
At the end of the day, it will be on you to decide whether the service is worth its asking price: $19.99 yearly, $7.99 quarterly, or $3.99 monthly - considering what Nintendo plans to add to it moving forward.
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Story posted on GameNGuide
Written by RJ Pierce
