On the day of its release, the Nintendo Switch will receive an important patch that will unlock all of its online dependent features. This patch will bring with it online functionality for its games, along with the arrival of the new eShop and the console’s dedicated online app. However, we won’t know how any of these things actually work until after the Switch has been launched, which may present a problem for early adopters given how this is the most online-focused Nintendo console yet.
Nintendo has always rolled out its online features for its consoles on their respective launch days, but with the Switch seeing the company employ a subscription-based online service for the first time ever, there are question marks surrounding whether or not it’s a notable improvement in this regard compared to the Wii U. The Switch’s launch line-up features very few games that will feature online multiplayer functionality, while streaming apps such as Netflix will also be absent, but many were hoping that reviewers would be able to outline exactly how its confusing online system will work. Unfortunately, that won’t be the case.
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As previously outlined by Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime, rather than utilizing a similar online system to the PS4 and Xbox One, the Switch will instead make use of a dedicated app for the majority of its online tasks. As noted in a statement from the company, the app will “let you invite friends to play online, set play appointments, and chat with friends during online matches in compatible games ─ all from your smart device.” Players will also use their smart device to voice chat with their friends, which seems set to be an incredibly cumbersome way of performing a simple task.
But with various outlets now publishing reviews of the Switch, it’s impossible to ascertain exactly how its online features will work, as reviewers have yet to try them out. This problem has been outlined in Polygon’s review of the console, which reads: “…a considerable amount of its functionality is tied to a major system update that isn’t live yet, and which Nintendo has not committed to delivering prior to the Switch’s general availability on March 3. Even more alarming, Nintendo all but refuses to answer questions about the system’s pending update, even while the review embargo precedes it by more than a day.”
Nintendo has always lagged behind when it comes to its consoles’ online functionality, but with the Switch set to feature the company’s first subscription-based online component, many were hoping that the new console would mark a new change in direction. Unfortunately, the silence regarding how the Switch will handle its online features seems to suggest that Nintendo could be repeating bad habits.
