All of the must-know info on the rapidly evolving Nintendo Switch and ways to get more out of your purchase.
The Nintendo Switch has plenty of room to grow, but even so, the home/portable hybrid console already has some stellar titles under its belt in 2017 — enough to make it a must-own. And that’s without mentioning that Super Mario Odyssey is coming later on in the year.
If you’ve read our review and have purchased a Nintendo Switch for yourself, welcome! With our combined experience of thousands of hours spent with the Switch, we’ve compiled the following guide just for you, bringing the latest information and the best tips to the surface, as well as a few essential accessory and game recommendations.
The Nintendo Switch is currently on firmware version 3.0, the biggest update yet that brought along a slew of bug fixes, security updates, as well as features both big and small that Switch owners will appreciate.
In terms of features, the Nintendo Switch Online service will drop officially on July 21. Its release coincides with the debut of Splatoon 2, which will be the first title supported by the platform.
For the uninitiated, Nintendo Switch Online isn’t like Xbox Live or PlayStation Network. Sure, it will bring about online matchmaking and voice chat, however, most of the networking tasks aren’t handled on the console itself. For that, you’ll need an iOS or Android device and a free app coming July 21.
For those who have clamored for more online functionality, the mobile app should satisfy, but we’ll have to wait until July 21 to try it out ourselves. Nintendo plans to offer the service in limited fashion for free until the turn of the year, when it will begin charging $19 for a one-year membership, $7.99 for three months of service and $3.99 for one month.
Other than Nintendo Switch Online, features like video streaming functionality and Virtual Console are still MIA for the foreseeable future.
