Nintendo Switch Online Launches in ‘Second Half’ of September
By Liz Lanier
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) –
There’s only a few weeks left until Nintendo Switch Online launches, according to a press release from .
When Online launches “in the second half of September,” Switch users can subscribe for benefits like Save Data Cloud backup, which, as its name implies, will allow users to save game data online rather than locally to their device. This makes replacing a device much easier.
Subscribers will also have access to classic Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) titles like “Donkey Kong,” “Balloon Fight,” “Dr. Mario,”“The Legend of Zelda,” and “Super Mario Bros. 3,” among others.
For anyone who enjoys playing certain Switch games online, a subscription will also be required for some games.
“Online play in compatible games and the Nintendo Switch Online smartphone app are free until the paid Nintendo Switch Online service launches in September 2018,” according to Nintendo .
Right now, we know for sure that “Splatoon 2,” “ARMS,” “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe,” “Mario Tennis Aces.,” and “Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido” will require the subscription, and other games will “vary.”
Nintendo will reveal how to tell if a game requires a Nintendo Switch Online subscription “at a later date.”
Not all online functions are affected by the new subscription service:
“Online features including Nintendo eShop, Friend registration and management, the sharing of screenshots over social networks, Nintendo Switch Parental Controls, system and software updates, and Nintendo Switch News will not be affected by the launch of the Nintendo Switch Online paid service.”
Nintendo Switch owners do not automatically become members when the service launches; they will need to purchase a membership in increments of one month, three months, or 12 months. The plans start at $4 USD a month and users can also purchase a three month subscription for $8, or the most discounted rate of $20 for a full year. Family memberships for up to eight accounts will be available only for the 12-month subscription option for $34.99.
Pre-orders of three-month and one year subscriptions can be placed at Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop.
The exact launch date and more information will be announced as we get closer to the latter half of September.
