Nintendo releases Switch Online app for Android and iOS

Nintendo Switch Online has appeared on the Google Play Store and iTunes App Store, a smartphone app designed to complement Nintendo’s upcoming online game service for Switch. The app is not fully functional yet, as the servers have not yet been activated.

In early June, Nintendo announced that the Switch Online app will be released on July 21, but it is already available to download for Android and iOS. Logging in with a Nintendo account is not yet possible, it will probably be possible from the previously announced date.

From the description and screenshots it can be concluded that the app can be used to use services for certain games, such as SplatNet2 for Splatoon 2. This gives players insight into statistics and their progression in the game.

Gamers can also invite friends via social media and then create ‘rooms’ to talk to each other via voice chat. This can also be done while gaming. The Nintendo Switch itself does not have that option. The speakers and microphone of the smartphone or tablet are therefore used for this functionality.

Nintendo states in the description that the Switch Online app is free to use as long as the Online service is free. In 2018, the service will become a paid subscription and from that moment on, the app will only function for paying users. The subscription will cost $3.99 per month, $7.99 per quarter or $19.99 per year. Players will also have the opportunity to play unlimited classic NES games such as Super Mario Bros. 3, Balloon Fight and Dr. to play Mario.

Update: According to Neogaf users, the app won’t work if it’s running in the background. Voice chat, for example, is closed as soon as a user switches to another app.