The Nintendo Switch is a lot younger than Sony's PlayStation 4 (PS4) or Microsoft's Xbox One, yet they have been able to catch up to their level. Nevertheless, there are still a lot of features that the Nintendo Switch could take inspiration from its two competitors. One of these is online services, and thankfully, they are going to make it an actual thing this year.
This online service, which is aptly called "Nintendo Switch Online," will be coming within this year. It would cost $3.99 for one month, $7.99 for three months, and for those who want a year-long subscription, it would only cost $19.99. Given these prices, it is comparably a lot lower than either of the PS4 or Xbox One's online service, fulfilling the Nintendo president's (Tatsumi Kimishima) promise.
Like the Xbox Live and the PS Plus subscriptions, getting the Switch Online will guarantee players free games every month. These would usually be a "compilation of classic titles" which, according to Polygon, would include games like "Super Mario Bros. 3," "Balloon Fight," and "Dr. Mario."
However, unlike the online service of the two other consoles, Switch Online would not allow players to keep the game. The list of games available during the month will only be available for the month itself. Classic games that do not have online features would now be given these features if they were to be on the list of free games for the Switch Online.
For the most part, it is essentially the same as the PS4 and Xbox One. The lower price would definitely be a big factor for people to purchase it easily. More details about Nintendo's new service would be revealed at a later date.
It is not a surprise for Nintendo to make this move. Given the millions of people with the console, it just seems right to release an online service. After all, they were also happy to announce that the Switch has recently just outsold their previously most profitable Nintendo Wii.
